The Cursed Hero
by XoverMasta
Summary: His search or Kronos once again on hold Naruto learns not only has Annabeth been kidnapped, but Artemis has gone missing. Now he must go off with the five of the prophecy to help find them… but once again he is keeping a secret... a guilty secret. The sequel to The Greatest Hero.
1. Signs

**XoverMasta: Hello people of fanfiction, it is I, XoverMasta coming from you live from your laptop… or some kind of mobile device!**

**Today we have a spectacular show featuring—**

**Jason: Me of course!**

**XoverMasta: Umm… Who the heck are you?**

**Unknown Person: Ja—**

**Naruto: I'm here! And who the hell are you!**

**Unknown Person: Oh hi, I'm Ja—**

**Naruto: I don't care who you are GET OUT! *kicks unknown person out the door* Man I knew I should've forced you to make No Longer Watching your main story.**

**XoverMasta: Yeah, but if I did you wouldn't be able to kiss Artemis—**

**Naruto: I KISS ARTEMIS! Ohmygods! *snaps fingers* Make up! I need my make up!**

**XoverMasta: You kiss her later you numbskull.**

**Naruto: Oh… Never mind guys.**

**XoverMasta: You although do get a better outfit.**

**Naruto: *eyes widen* SERIOSULY! Awesome do I now get a wicked sword or giant hammer or—**

**XoverMasta: I said outfit not weapon… and what the heck you already have a bow, a gauntlet/shield, and also a scythe! What else do you want!?**

**Naruto: Artemis!**

**XoverMasta: ... Anything else?**

**Naruto: NO!**

**XoverMasta: *Sigh* Fine—but later! You're lucky your relationship with her is about to bloom!**

**Naruto: SERIOUSLY!**

**XoverMasta: Yep! Who's da MASTA!?**

**Naruto: Me… Fine, Fine… you.**

**XoverMasta: Thank you… Now Unknown Person outside if you please.**

**Unknown Person: My name is gods damn Ja—**

**XoverMasta: Never mind you're taking too long, Naruto if you will.**

**Naruto: With pleasure! ****XoverMasta doesn't own Naruto or Percy Jackson… if she did I wouldn't be wearing the jumpsuit.**

* * *

**Signs**

* * *

Sliding along a trunk of a tree, a figure lay low against the bark. With skilled, and calloused fingers he pulled an arrow from his quiver, taking aim at an unsuspecting deer whom was trotting thirty feet in front of him.

The dark figure took a deep breath as he drew back the arrow, but before he could release a young fawn looking no older than two weeks hobbled next to the deer halting his action.

He watched as the mother nuzzled her baby, a longing almost immediately entered his heart; the arrow trembled for a second.

The hunter bit his lip, his aim continuing to falter.

The fawn continued to wobble, his mother steadying him with her nose...

Then with a sigh Naruto relaxed his arms, putting his arrow back to its proper place.

He would go without meat again tonight.

Jumping down from his place in the tree, Naruto landed softly, his sandals making no noise in the snow; but even so the deer seemed to finally sense him, as it turned her head to look at him. They shared a small glance, and Naruto could've sworn the doe nodded before leaping away, her baby following suit.

_Thank you._

"Hm." The blonde smiled, running a hand through his recently cut hair. "Interesting… Very interesting…"

Over the past year Uzumaki Naruto had grown considerably reaching 5'9 at only 15 years old. About a month ago he had decided to go for the clean cut look—abandoning his messy tresses Naruto gelled his unruly hair into a fohawk. His lean frame only got bulkier after his constant physical training. He needed to be in top shape to wield both a bow, guantlet, and a now 6 foot scythe.

Just like him Messenger's Crescent was weirdly growing, but thanks to the extra length Naruto now had extra couple of feet if a fight ever came into close combat.

Naruto's body wasn't the only thing that changed, the blonde had also gotten himself new clothes to replace his very much, destroyed ones.

After his camouflage cloak, and vest were burned to a crisp by a certain not twin brothers prank, the blonde had been forced to abandon his clothes for something more practical.

Now he wore a long orange jacket with black outlining, the number '9' was blazed proudly on his right sleeve. Underneath the coat he had on a black button up shirt, in which he left the top five buttons loose. He wore khaki pants as bottoms, and high black shinobi sandals with little wings on them—a gift from his father. On his right ring figure an odd blackish-orange ring gleamed, his family crest incrusted on the middle of the metal band... a gift from Tyson...

At that thought Naruto let out a sigh, and winced slightly.

Once again he hadn't kept in touch, or seen his friends for the past year. It hurt him greatly, but he really hoped to not get any of them involved in his search. It honestly pained him to lie to them, but either Percy or Thalia was going to experience hell on their sixteenth birthday, and he didn't think he needed to add on their already ever growing stress.

Naruto let out a dry chuckle.

When Thalia was stressed she tended to shock people…

The blonde stiffened turning his head to the source of the noise, just in time to see an owl launching itself at a snake… weirdly enough.

It was way too cold for reptiles.

Upon grabbing the snake the bird let out a pained screech when the snake retaliated, fiercely biting the nocturnal bird. Naruto watched in fascinated horror, as the snake brought the owl down.

That wasn't natural.

His cerulean eyes opened in horror.

_Oh my Gods._

Quickly pumping chakra into his feet Naruto launched himself through the forest, his coat ruffling, revealing hidden pockets all around the inside.

Cursing loudly the blonde jumped onto a tree branch, cracking it in the process of pushing off it, gaining the necessary momentum to blast through the forest.

_Kurama I need your chakra!_

**DONE! **the fox boomed, and immediatly Naruto felt the familiar power coursing through him.

He passed forty trees till he had to jump again.

**Let us hope you're not too late.**

_I know!_

Unknown tears leaked out of the blondes eyes.

_Gods damn it, Annabeth. _

Naruto's eyes flashed crimson.

_You better still be alive._

* * *

**DONE!**

**Betaed by ILikeSharpObjects, and **_**HybridtailedFox**_

**Yes it's short! And as you can guess from the summary, he will not be there in time to save Annabeth, but… I hope you did enjoy.**

**As you can guess Naruto and Annabeth are extremely close.**

**Just so you know the sign was a from Hermes :D**

**And in case you guys were wondering, yes I uploaded this WAY TO EARLY! But thats because I love you guys... okay I really had no more room in my saved files... but I still love you guys!**

**I did this prologue to show some of Naruto's growth, and I also wanted to show his sweet merciful side was still there as well... ALSO I AM PISSED!**

**Believe it or not during my English class we were going over Greek Mythology... and my teacher forgot to put HERMES! And then to add more to the insult she said Hermes probably wasn't as important because he was the God of Messengers! In my head I was like FUCK YOU BITCH NARUTO WOULD TOTALLY KICK YOUR ASS! But I calmed down... poor Hermes D:**

**Any way REVIEW, I'd like to know about some of your teacher mishaps!**

**-XM**


	2. Too Late

**XoverMasta: Holy fudging crab I love you all!**

**Naruto: *Walks out of random room* Hey you mind toning it down, ya woke me up.**

**XoverMasta: I don't care you see how many reviews I got!?**

**Naruto: Of course I didn't, remember I am stuck in this damn story, and the other 321,866 and counting on this cite!**

**XoverMasta: Fine then since your so grumpy I'm calling in Percy!**

**Naruto: Go ahead, I'm going back to bed.**

**XoverMasta: *pouts* Fine then… PEEERRRRRRCCCCYYYYYYYYY!**

**Percy: What!? I'm in the bathroom! **

**XoverMasta: Of course you are… Can you still do the disclaimer!?**

**Percy: What!? *Cups hand to ear* I can't hear you!**

**XoverMasta: … Naruto can you please do the disclaimer.**

**Naruto: *comes running back into the room* Just waiting for you to ask! *Clears throat* XoverMasta does not own Naruto if she did I wouldn't be wearing the jumpsuit… and she would've killed the civilian council off **_**long **_**ago.**

* * *

**Too Late**

* * *

Percy took a deep breath. There was nothing to worry about… just a manticore Vice Principal with a Missile Launcher.

And yes if you wanted you could question his sanity now.

"Yield!" the monster roared.

"Never!" Thalia screamed, her electric blue eyes were filled with hatred, and bloodlust, as she charged across the field.

But mid-way through her charge she stopped as a thunderous noise and a blaze of light came from behind. Natural instincts and ADHD saved her from the bullet.

A helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliff face. It was a sleek, black, and deadly, all along it mortal military men armed it. Their searchlights, were trained on a blinded Thalia.

And the manticore being the coward he was took advantage of the girl's daze, sending her flying with a swat of his tail. Her shield, and spear flew into the snow, going opposite directions.

"No!" Percy screamed coming to his cousin's aid, barely being able to block the poisonous spike.

His already broken shield, almost shattered on impact, but even so the Son of Poseidon stood firm, raising his battered shield to protect both of them.

Dr. Thorn a.k.a. the manticore let out a mocking laugh. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."

Percy's answer was to spit, a little trick he'd learn from Naruto.

The manticore screeched in anger, raising his tail to deal with the finishing blow. Percy closed his eyes awaiting his death.

But then a clear, piercing sound echoed through the woods.

The call of a hunting horn.

Dr. Thorn froze. For a moment, no one dared to move. It was silent, the only sound coming from the chopping of the helicopter blades.

"No," Dr. Thorn said breaking the tense silence. "It cannot be—"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past Percy giving him a weird sense of dejavu. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder. He staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!"

He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, his eyes filled with desperation, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back. The arrows seemed to be intercepting the spikes, splitting them in too… but Percy thought his eyes were deceiving him.

No one, but Naruto, could shoot with that much accuracy.

The manticore pulled an arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy.

With the last of his strength Percy attempted to swipe at the beast, but the monster wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged the attack and then slammed his tail into Percy's shield, the Son of Poseidon laid sprawled in the snow gasping for air.

The manticore raised his hind-quarters, but then stopped half-way when the archers appeared from the woods.

They were girls, about a dozen of them, give or take a few. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen.

They all wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

Next to her, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

And with her words, Percy shot away from the monster, successfully putting distance between the two… fortunately the manticore was preoccupied, staring wide-eyed at the incoming girls.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn, her stance similiar to Naruto's. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, like a princess.

"Permission to kill, my lady?"

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than the other girl, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon.

Her face was so breathtakingly beautiful it made Percy forget how to momentarily breathe, but her expression was stern and dangerous.

"The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"

He then lunged at Thalia and Percy, the girl still shaken, and the boy still dazed.

"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth didn't listen leaping onto the monster's back and driving her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing Annabeth hanging on for dear life...

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!"

But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!" And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

"Annabeth!"

Percy started after her, but their enemies weren't done with them.

There was a loud snapping sound, as tiny holes appeared at their feet, Percy let out a hiss as a bullet scraped against his ear.

Before the men could re-aim, a certain blonde's killer intent blasted through the field halting their actions, as visions of their own death froze them in place…

The grim reaper himself made an appearance in front of them.

Naruto was pissed… no he was beyond pissed.

He was enraged.

For the first time in a long time Naruto wanted to kill something, or someone.

Quickly forming hand seals Naruto snarled, "Fūton: Renkūdan (Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet)." Then he exhaled.

And almost instantly the helicoptor exploded, the blades flying across the field. The men inside didn't even have a chance to scream before they were blown to bits, some even had wind tear apart their insides. Naruto only left one man alive, as he jumped out of the helicopter at the last second… only to be slammed into a tree by a certain ninja.

Gripping his uniform Naruto brought the man face to face.

"Listen you." The blonde growled, his once cerulean eye's were crimson. "Who the hell are you working for."

"I-I don't know I-I'm just following orders!" The man yelled his eyes so wide you could see the white. "Let go of me demon!"

Naruto flinched at the words before once again slamming the man into the tree.

"I said who the hell are you working for, don't lie or I'll kill you."

"Y-You w-wouldn't."

"I didn't have a problem with the people in the helicopter."

"I-I."

Naruto gripped the man's shirt tighter knocking the man into the tree once more.

"Spill, or I'll make you."

The gunman couldn't answer as blood gurgled from his mouth.

Naruto froze when he felt a hand clasp on his shoulder. Allowing himself a few seconds he took his eyes off the man, only to have crimson orbs lock with silvery yellow.

"Let him go Naruto."

The said blonde snarled, his eyes slowly returned to their natural color as he looked between his victim, and Artemis.

With a sigh/growl he abruptly let the man go, letting him escape into a blissful unconsciousness.

"There." The blonde snarled, but quickly reigned in his temper at Artemis' warning glance. "Alright I'm sorry." Naruto muttered looking away from the Goddess.

Artemis nodded, and with the wave of her hand the remaining man turned into a flock of ravens…

"Annabeth!" Both her, and Naruto turned to the sound of a screeching Percy. "You have to let us save her!"

At this Artemis walked up to the Son of Poseidon shaking her head, "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."

Percy tried to struggle to his feet, but a couple of the girls held him down.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs."

"Let me go!" Percy demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

"Err Percy." Naruto said nervously, just as Zoe stepped forward her hand lifted.

"No," The goddess ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."

Then she looked at Percy, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

**DONE!**

**Betaed by _I lLikeShapObjects _and _HybridtailedFox_**

**Sorry I know Naruto is OC, but he basically had just witnessed yet another of his precious people being taken from him.**

**Alright REVIEW PLEASE! Don't worry the chapters will get longer!**

**Mkay question time!**

**Again I ask do you guys want Zoe to live! You can tell me here, or at my profile page!**

**-XM**


	3. Bianca Makes a Choice

**XoverMasta: I am here and wonderful, with my new hair cut!**

**Annabeth: She is here and big-headed.**

**XoverMasta: Quiet you, you're still captured so don't be talking.**

**Annabeth: … I need a Pepsi.**

**XoverMasta: I need one too, get one for me will you!**

**Annabeth: Yeah, yeah.**

**XoverMasta: Wait don't forget the dis—**

**Naruto: I'm here and wonderful, with my new smexy hair!**

**XoverMasta: …**

**Naruto: Oh right *ahem* XoverMasta does not own Naruto if she did I wouldn't be wearing the jumpsuit… and she would've killed the civilian council off **_**long**_** ago. And I would also be even more sexy than I am… if that's possible.**

* * *

**Bianca Makes a Choice**

* * *

At Artemis' introduction Percy just stared… stared… and then stared some more. Before he finally was able to let out a brilliant, "Um… okay."

That was nothing compared to Grover.

He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

Naruto winced as did Percy.

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of them, "Who… who are you people?

"Well—"

"I thought you'd never ask." Naruto smirked, before he shifted his feet, one arm outstreched, the other was cocked back. "I am a man... but not just any man." Then odd, unknown theme music began to play. "I am Uzumaki Naruto the great, powerful, and wise, toad sage. Child of the Prophecy, Defeater of Pein, the Akatsuki, and other countless enemies. Listen to the ladies swoon as they—"

Thalia cut him off with a kick to the face, "run a way at the sight of your whiskered face."

Naruto pouted, "I'll have you know these scars are as manly as Zeus' Pride."

Artemis let out a sigh, before again directing her attention to the dumbfounded Bianca.

"It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are _you!_ Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Naruto.

"That was… awesome!" Nico squealed. "Can you do it again, and finish this time!?"

Naruto let anime tears fall. "Finally someone who understands me!" he pulled Nico into a one armed hug. "You my friend will become great."

Meanwhile both Percy and Thalia were banging their heads against a tree.

"Can I do my line now?" Biance asked redirecting their attention to her.

At their nods she continued, "Our parents are dead. We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…" She faltered.

I guess she could tell from their faces that they didn't believe her.

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. And Naruto was once again deciding just how old she was…

"One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian… athlete?"

"Wouldn't say they're athletic." Naruto chuckled, earning a hard glare from Artemis. "I take it back."

"No," Zoe said rolling her eyes. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Nico his voice muffled by Naruto's jacket.

"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

Nico did the cha-cha looking extremely excited... and still under Naruto's arm.

"Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"What?"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face flashing Naruto an apologetic look. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

Thalia looked at the di Angelo's sadly. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well… Our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell."

Naruto gritted his teeth, as Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked.

"Because she's gone." Naruto said simply. "Her scent is no longer there." His eyes saddened. "I already looked when I was up in the air, she's gone Percy..."

"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains… Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," Naruto said, smiling. "To keep you safe... well if you turned out to be half-bloods anyways."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

Grover smiled sheepishly, "No… I'm a satyr." He then kicked off his shoes revealing his hooves.

Bianca looked like she was going to faint.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Not exactly." Naruto said leaning in closer to inspect the hooves. "There is a dirt smudge there."

Grover's eyes widened. "What in the—Hades you're right!?" Grover huffed. "And I just got them done!"

Percy deadpanned. "You get them done?"

"Yeah so?"

"Nothing."

"Bianca," Thalia finally said interrupting the boy's conversation, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," The daughter of Zeus said. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive. You can join us, stay there year-round."

"Sweet, let's go!" Nico turned to Naruto. "You'll be there right!?"

"Course."

"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"

"There is another option," Zoe said.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia said.

Thalia and Zoe glared at each other. Naruto opened his mouth to intervene before deciding against it. He could already tell Artemis was going to chew him out about earlier, and he didn't want to give her more reasons too.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And Uzumaki come with me. I would like to speak with you."

He so called it.

Artemis received a few shocked looks from that, but she waved it off.

"And, Bianca, afterwards I would also like a word with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis considered the boy. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while… as a favor to me?"

Grover just about tripped over himself getting up. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

Artemis then led a nervous Naruto along the cliff.

When they were out of earshot Naruto said the first thing on his mind, "That was a little manipulative don't you think?"

The Goddess' answer was to chuckle, a small reserved smile gracing her features. "He did accept without question though."

Naruto only shook his head.

"So… I'm guessing you brought me here to chew me out on losing my temper."

"No actually." The Goddess sighed, "I understand that the girl is family to you."

At this Naruto visibly deflated. "It's my fault, if I'd been a little faster…"

Artemis sighed before glancing over her shoulder, making sure no one was watching, and then she pulled Naruto into a hug.

At his surprised glance Artemis smiled. "It looked like you needed one."

"T-T-Thanks."

Chuckling the Goddess released him, "It's also not your fault, sometimes things were meant to happen..." Then her face resumed her emotionless mask. "Shall we head back?"

"Hai." Naruto paused, before asking, "Want me to get that Bianca girl?"

"Yes."

When the duo got back the Hunters had already set up camp. Seven large tents, all of silver silk, curved in a crescent around one side of a bonfire. One of the girl's seemed to be feeding a dozen white wolves. Another was hand-feeing the falcons who were perched on the trees, eho even as being fed seemed to be keeping a close eye on the blonde ninja.

The weather itself also seemed to bend to the goddess's will.

The air was still cold, but the wind died down and the snow stopped falling, so it was almost now pleasent at camp.

Almost...

"Bianca!" Naruto called, walking up to the surprised/scared girl. "Lady Artemis wants to see you."

At her nervous nod, the blonde clapped the young girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry she doesn't bite… sometimes."

Making his way over to Percy, Naruto raised an eyebrow at his injured arm.

"No one thought to treat that yet?"

"Nope."

"Huh." Naruto grunted before he began to fuss over the wound.

Not long after Grover and Nico came back from their walk, and Grover helped Naruto fix up Percy's wounded arm.

"It's green!" Nico said with delight.

"Hold still," Naruto scolded. "Here, eat some ambrosia while I clean it out."

Meanwhile Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. Naruto was able to recognize Zeus with a lightning bolt, Ares with a spear, and Apollo with his sun chariot.

"Big collection," Percy said.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."

"You've been playing this game a long time?"

"Just this year. Before that…" He knit his eyebrows.

"What?"

"I forget. That's weird."

He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey," he turned to Naruto excitedly. "Can I see that scythe you were using?"

Naruto showed him the iPod, quickly typing the code HERMES, Nico watched in awe as the device turned into Naruto's trademark weapon.

"Cool! Does it ever run out of battery?"

"Nope." Naruto smirked, "Unlimited songs, data, and ramen recipes."

"Awesome!" Nico's eyes widened, "Are you really the son of Hermes?"

"Well, yeah…" Naruto trailed off, "Wait who told you?"

"Grover… Wait does that mean you steal things well?"

"Yep."

Then he went on asking questions.

Where did Naruto learn how to make that cool music?

The blonde answered this one sadly.

If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff?

Naruto was really tempted to throw Nico off the cliff himself.

Did Naruto have a super gorgeous girlfriend to match his amazingly good looks?

Well… at this Naruto tried not let his chest swell with a newly infused ego. Kids speak the truth right?

He told Thalia he was hot!

Luckily Thalia was saved by Naruto's ego, when Zoe Nightshade came up to them.

"Percy Jackson, and Uzumaki Naruto."

She studied them both distastefully.

"Come with me," she finally said. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee." Zoe led the boys to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved them inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to the auburn-haired girl, who Percy still had trouble thinking of as Artemis.

The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others that not even Naruto recognized.

"Join us, Naruto Uzumaki and Percy Jackson," the goddess said.

Both boys sat across from her on the tent floor.

"So why'd ya call us here?" Naruto asked, making Zoe glare at his disrespect.

The Goddess remained quiet studying both boys… mostly Percy.

"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked.

"Uh… a little."

"Nope."

Artemis rolled her eyes at the blonde before once again resuming her attention to Percy.

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

"Go astray?"

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

At this both boys looked at each other uneasily, Naruto was unknowingly drifting his hands down to protect his… family jewels.

"Ummm okay." Percy squeaked, copying Naruto's movement.

He'll need those for later, he wanted kids.

"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said. "It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp…" She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Percy, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the… hmmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you." And so Percy told her.

When he was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" Naruto asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

She stared at Percy intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"

Naruto deadpanned, "Somehow Percy, I don't think that's what Lady Artemis was talking about."

"Oh…" Percy put a hand on his chin thoughtfully, "He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoe's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on, Percy," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—"

"Stirring," Bianca corrected.

"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"

The goddess was so still she could've been a statue.

Breaking the tense silence Naruto said, "That guy needs a hobby."

Percy sent Naruto a 'not now' look.

"Maybe he was lying," Percy said,

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoe. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis—"

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As… as you wish, my lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" Percy asked.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."

"Um, Can goddesses pray?" Naruto inquired with a raised eyebrow, pulling himself into a thinking pose. "I never really thought about that…"

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips.

"Before I go, Uzumaki Naruto, I wish to ask you of my second favor."

At this Naruto immediately straightened, his face becoming serious and professional.

"I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."

"Yes ma'am." Naruto saluted.

"What?" Zoe' blurted out a second later. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, 's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoe muttered something about foolish campers.

"Well… if you don't want them to bother you, I can arrange that."

Zoe turned to Naruto looking at him surprisingly.

The blonde decided to elaborate, "I'm the councilor of the Hermes cabin… and I'm guessing that's the cabin that causing trouble right?"

Zoe nodded sternly.

"Mkay then, consider them unbadified!"

"Is that even a word."

"In the dictionary of Naruto it is!"

"… And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca trying her best to stifle a small smile. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Wait," Percy said. "Thinking about what?"

"They… they've invited me to join the Hunt."

"What? But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive."

"It is not the only way for a girl," Zoe said.

"Bianca, camp is cool! It's got a pegasus stable and a sword-fighting arena and… I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?"

"Immortality." Naruto sighed, at the surprised glances the blonde shrugged. "What? I do my home work."

"Seriously!?"

"Yeah why is me doing homework so hard to believe?"

"I meant the immortality…"

"Oh… yeah to that too."

"Is he kidding?" Percy asked turning to Artemis.

"No." Artemis smirked. "My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal… unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."

"What oath?"

"To foreswear romantic love forever," Naruto said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"…" Percy gaped at Naruto. "And why do you know this?"

"Because I'm awesomely smart."

"No really."

"Wikipedia."

Shaking his head to clear it Percy turned back to Nico's sister. "Bianca, this is crazy. What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."

"Hey!" both boys protested.

"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured Bianca. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us"

"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."

"Bianca, you can't do this," Percy said. "It's nuts. Naruto back me up."

The said ninja remained quiet.

She looked at Zoe. "Is it worth it?"

Zoe nodded. "It is."

"What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoe told her, " 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I… I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'" Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?" Zoe nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."

"I accept it," Artemis said.

The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel… stronger."

"Welcome, sister," Zoe said.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

Percy couldn't speak he felt like a trespasser… and a complete failure.

Naruto got up, and put a hand on Bianca's shoulder, "I'll look after your little brother."

Bianca smiled at Naruto, "Thank you."

"Do not despair, Percy Jackson," Artemis said redirecting their attention back to the Son of Poseidon. "You will still get to show the di Angelos your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."

"Great," Percy said, trying not to sound surly. "How are we supposed to get there?"

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoe, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Zoe didn't look real happy about this idea, but she motioned to Bianca and said a silent, "Come."

"So…" Naruto drawled when both Bianca and Zoe left. "We're picking a ride up from the Sun God huh?"

Artemis's silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, Naruto. You see, Bianca di Angelo is not the only one with an annoying brother. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."

* * *

**Betaed by ILikeShapObjects _and __HybridTailedFox_**

**DONE!**

**And I am now extremely tired, so Good night people!**

**Review! And I'll love you FOREVER!**

**Come on can I please get up to a grand total of 70 please... that's about twenty-five reviews... I think.**

**-XM**


	4. Someone isn't getting their License

**XoverMasta: *Listening to music* You're insecure. Don't know what for! Turning heads when you walk through the—**

**HybridTailedFox: Errr… You know you're on right?**

**XoverMasta: Wha *Turns to face the screen* C-Course I did… errr can you delete that.**

**Naruto: Nope.**

**XoverMasta: You suck… Anyway. Everyone say hi to one of my Betas the fantastic HybridTailedFox… and ladies he's single… you are right?**

**HybridTailedFox: That's classified intel.**

**Naruto: Anyway he's also the choreographer, he supervises all the dance numbers and fighting scenes, and—**

**XoverMasta: Any way I'm pretty sure the readers want to get on to the story, so Naru-chan if you please.**

**Naruto: Fine… XoverMasta does not own Naruto ir PJO if she did I wouldn't be wearing the jumpsuit… and she would've killed the civilian council off long ago. And I would also be even more sexy than I am… if that's possible. She would've also paired me up with Samui, right when the Fourth Shinobi War started.**

* * *

**Someone's not getting their Driver's License**

* * *

Artemis assured Naruto dawn was coming, but she could've fooled him.

It was colder, darker, and snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless.

The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. Percy supervised feeling as if he was the only one shivering on that damn hill.

"A-Aren't y-you cold?" he rasped out to Naruto who stood there in only a light jacket.

"Not really," the blonde shrugged.

"H-How?"

"Chakra."

"Oh..."

With the ending of his conversation with Percy, Naruto's gaze drifted to Bianca who was sitting off to the side, talking with Nico. From his gloomy face, Naruto could guess that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt.

Thalia and Grover came up to the boys, anxious to hear what had happened in their audience with the goddess. When they told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

"Oi Goat boy get your mind out of the gutter." Naruto growled possessively.

"Wha—No I—"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so… into nature."

"You're nuts," Thalia and Naruto synchronized.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah." Finally the sky began to lighten.

Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

"So we're waiting for sunrise?" Naruto inquired.

"For my brother. Yes."

"I see…" Naruto sighed, before he lowly whispered, "I could go with you, ya know."

Artemis gave him a glance, "I know boy, but that would raise suspicion."

Naruto stayed quiet, unable to argue.

Then a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

Naruto nodded as he averted his eyes, seeing as the others did so too.

The light and warmth intensified until Naruto felt as if his jacket melted off him. Then suddenly the light died.

Naruto turned to look and then gaped.

Parked in front of him was a red convertible _Maserati Spyder_.

It was so awesome it glowed.

"Holy shit." Naruto gaped earning a few glares at his foul choice of language.

The driver then got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and Naruto had to do a double-take. This guy looked like _Luke. _The driver had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face. His smile was brighter and more playful, and he wore jeans, loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

"And I'm not?" Naruto said exasperatedly.

"You're cute." Thalia answered, chuckling as she pinched his cheek.

"Little sister!" Apollo called. His teeth so white it made Rock Lee's smile look dull. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your _little _sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, _alone_." At this she sent Naruto a small, stern glance, "I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

"Green grass breaks through snow.

Artemis pleads for my help.

I am so amazing."

_**Kit, I can now say I am officially happy you're my tenant.**_

_Thanks man._

He grinned at them, waiting for applause.

"That last line was only six syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"Yes. What about I am so big-headed?"

"No, no, that's also six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself._._

Zoe Nightshade then turned to the quad. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There once was a goddess from Sparta—"

"I've got it!" Apollo announced. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself. "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to the quad. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo said checking them out. "Let's see… Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees... Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at Naruto, and his eyes narrowed. "Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yes sir." Naruto said, meeting Apollo's gaze with his head high.

Apollo studied him, but didn't say anything. The tension between the two was so thick you could almost see it.

"Well!" he finally said. "Tell Kurama hi for me... and we better hurry loading up? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

"Cool car," Nico said.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose…"

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses used for school basketball games.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt withmy Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at them. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows, she could've sworn she heard a soft 'good luck', and she smiled.

_You too._

Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of them highly infectious males, Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with Naruto.

"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun… er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Both Naruto and Nico looked at Apollo confusedly, "Nope."

"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

"Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry."

He looked past Percy, and made eye contact with—

"Uzumaki, it's perfect!"

"Wha—"

He grabbed Naruto's arm and brought him to the driver's seat. "You're eighteen right." He said softly, making the blonde's eyes widen.

_Holy Hades this guy knows my real age._

_**Well he is the God of Prophecy.**_

_Touche._

"Alright then." The God smiles, putting the keys in the ignition. "Start her up!"

"Bu—"

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. Lord Zeus has taken an interest in you. He's not going to blast you out of the sky."

Apollo laughed good-naturedly. The rest of passengers didn't join him.

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but Apollo had already hit the button on the dashboard.

"Take it away!" Apollo smirked. "You're gonna be a natural!"

"No I—"

"Remember speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Naruto looked on nervously, biting his lip before tentatively pushing his foot on the gas…

And they took off, Naruto's eyes wide as they sped forward.

"Ow" Grover yelled as his head slammed in the back of his seat.

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo said.

Naruto nodded, but he seemed to be in a trance.

Meanwhile Thalia had sunken in her chair in the hopes of not dying... man she really hated heights... and Naruto driving just added to her nightmare.

"Naruto." Percy said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I-I've got it." But he kept it floored.

_**Kit!**_

"Loosen up!"

"Shut up!" Naruto snarled, making Percy flinch, "Sorry..." he took a deep breath. "I got this Perce, don't worry."

But his hands were white, and his neck muscles were so tight they looked as if they'd burst.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."

And Naruto did so jerking the wheel, throwing Percy into Grover, and then Thalia into Nico.

Percy made the mistake of looking out the window again. they were at airplane height now—so high the sky was starting to look black.

"Ah…" Apollo said. "A little lower. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Naruto nodded, tilting the wheel, his face was sweating, and he looked absolutely mortified.

_**Kit calm down.**_

_I am calm!_

Meanwhile Percy was inwardly panicking. Naruto was never, and he means never, like this.

The bus pitched down and somebody screamed.

Now they were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to our right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.

"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

"Please!" Naruto squeaked

"No worries," Apollo said.

"The kid just has to learn to—WHOA!"

"Pull up!" Percy yelled.

There was a wild light in Naruto's eyes. He yanked back on the wheel.

"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down. 'Dead' is only an expression."

_**Terrible pun!**_

Naruto was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach.

"I'm under control," Naruto muttered. "I'm under control."

They were only a few hundred yards away now.

"Brake," Apollo said.

"I can do this."

"BRAKE!"

_They are not going to die!_

With that thought Naruto slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five-degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake with a huge splash! Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets.

The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.

And Naruto ran out of the bus dashing across the water, to throw up in a trash can.

Heartbroken sobs racking through his chest.

* * *

**And DONE!**

**Betaed by ILikeSharpObjects and **_**HybridTailedFox**_

**Anyway so some of you are going to be wondering what has shaken up lil Naru'chan so… and you'll have to wait to find out.**

**Any way I wanna ask you guys again if ya'll want lil ol' Zoe to live or not!**

**Tell mou in a review!**

**-XM**


	5. Dreams

**XoverMasta: Hey all its XM coming from you live with Uzumaki Naruto bringing you News from Olympus.**

**Naruto: Thanks XM, so as you know in the last chapter I was crying my balls off into a trashcan, and then hopefully Artemis' arms.**

**XoverMasta: In your dreams, Naru-boy! You're just lucky enough she hugged you.**

**Naruto: *rolls eyes* Yeah, whatever… Just you wait she'll leap into my sexy arms soon enough! **

**XoverMasta: Right… Anyway you can expect drama—**

**Naruto: Romance-**

**XoverMasta: And even humor in our next couple of chapters, along with a dramatic back story on Naruto's part! Also for those of you wondering Naruto and Thalia have a really close sibling like relationship!**

**Naruto: Yeah…. **

**XoverMasta: Any way disclaimer please!**

**Naruto: Right! *Snaps fingers* I need make up! *then clears throat dramatically*XoverMasta does not own Naruto if she did I wouldn't be wearing the jumpsuit… and she would've killed the civilian council off long ago. I would also be even more sexy than I am… if that's possible. She would've paired me up with Samui right when the Fourth Shinobi War starts. Yugito would also be alive, with the perverted Nibi's having way more screen time. **

* * *

**Dreams**

* * *

Thalia stood over Naruto gently rubbing his back, as he convulsed into the garbage. Like Percy she had never seen her friend act like that… ever.

Handing Naruto a napkin he accepted it gratefully.

"Thank you." He rasped out.

"You want to talk about it?"

The blonde shook his head.

_**Kit...**_

_Not now Kurama._

About a minute passed before more people filed out of the bus.

"Whoa," Nico yelled as he jumped out of the vehicle. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah." Percy replied sending the blonde a worried glance.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met-"

"I know Chiron," Zoe said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't—" then he stopped talking seeming to realize something he turned to Naruto. "Can I escort them to the Artemis cabin?"

The blonde ninja shrugged his face still deathly pale, "If you want… I'm going back to my ca—"

He was cut off when Thalia began to pull on his ear, dragging him away, "Oh no you don't. I'm not leaving you to mope all day, the camp needs you right now, and you sure as hell are going to lead them."

"Bu—"

"No buts." Thalia growled dragging the blonde hero away.

Blinking Bianca asked the question on every one's mind.

"Does that happen often?"

Grover and Percy shared a glance. "You have no idea..."

"Take care, sweetheart!" Apollo called after Thalia, who only gave him a dismissive gesture in reply.

He then shouted even louder, "And watch out for prophecies Naruto!" he paused. "Just because you have the power to break them doesn't mean you can avoid them forever!"

He then turned to Percy and winked, "And as for you Percy… I'll see you soon."

He then hopped into his bus, closed the doors and revved the engine. Everyone turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat.

Nico was still looking grumpy.

"Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," Percy said. "He's… well, you'll see."

"… Will Naruto be with him?" Nico asked hopefully.

"Possibly." Percy smiled. "Want to find out?"

"Sure!"

And then both boys went looking for Chiron.

Percy blinked in surprise at the emptiness of the camp. Only the year-rounder's were here. the camp was covered in snow, it was beautiful, but the white seemed to make it look only that much more empty...

Percy waved to Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin who was stoking the forge outside the camp armory.

A few kids from the Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. And… that was about it. Even Percy's old rival, Clarisse, didn't seem to be around.

The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate.

And as usual Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor… with two more players.

Mr. D was staring at Naruto in what appeared to be angry awe… if that was possible. The Son of Hermes was holding a full house, and Thalia was smirking at the kid's luck.

No chores for him and her for two weeks!

Chiron was rolling his eyes at their antics before turning to the two boys, a smile gracing his features.

"Percy! Ah, and this must be—"

"Nico di Angelo," Percy said. "He and his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well…"

His smile melted. "What's wrong?" he turned to a now unsmiling Naruto, "And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost."

Before Percy could attack Mr. D, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But… Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG?' Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"

"It's PG-13," Naruto smirked.

"Cool!" Nico said happily, as he followed Grover out of the room.

"Now," Chiron said to the trio, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."

And thus they all explained. Naruto listened through most of the beginning, before he added his own two cents later on.

"We must send out a search party." Chiron said turning to Mr. D.

The said God sniffed. "Certainly not!"

The demi-gods began to complain, but Mr. D stood firm.

"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth." Percy snapped.

"Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her."

Naruto stood at this, banging his fist on the table. "Don't call Nico annoying."

Mr. D glared at Naruto before softly saying, "Sit down boy."

And Naruto reluctantly did so.

"As I was saying, I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."

"Then send me." Naruto volunteered. "I'll be able to fin—"

"Absolutely not." Mr. D snarled, "Zeus and the rest of the Olympians still need to keep a close eye on you."

"Which you've all failed at already."

_Minus Artemis of course._

The God glared.

"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said attempting to change the subject, "She's very bright. If… if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."

Naruto's mood darkened at the name of his half-brother.

"In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own."

Naruto opened his mouth to retort only to be stopped by an excited Nico.

"SO COOL!" the demi-god yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're… you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D turned and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine."

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed. "Well, that's… gratifying."

"Naruto," Chiron said quickly, "you, Percy, and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" Percy asked. "But we don't have enough—"

"Yes sir." Naruto interrupted pushing the Son of Poseidon out the door.

"Let's go Percy, and you too Thalia."

And when he walked out the door, he was brought to the side by a grim Thalia, "Naruto, what you did in there wasn't smart… you've already got Ares on your bad side. All you need is another immortal enemy?"

Naruto stayed silent, before he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Sorry." he muttered.

"Just try to hold in your temper." Thalia shrugged, "If it'd been me I would've done the same... but it still doesn't make it right..."

And then her face sagged. Her expression became so sad, that it made Naruto's heart ache. He hated to see one of his precious people like this.

Without thinking he pulled her into a one armed hug.

"We'll get Annabeth back," Naruto murmured. "I promise… and I never go back on my word, that's my nindo."

Thalia looked up at Naruto, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"Thank you… Naruto."

And of course the moment was ruined by shouting.

Over at the basketball court, a few of the Hunters were shooting hoops. One of them was arguing with a guy from the Ares cabin. The Ares kid had his hand on his sword and the Hunter girl looked like she was going to exchange her basketball for a bow and arrow any second.

"I'll break that up," Thalia said. "You circulate around the cabins. Tell everybody about capture the flag tomorrow."

"All right then... You should be team captain."

"Hell no." Thalia laughed glancing back at Naruto. "You're the obvious leader here Naruto. _You _should lead." And with that she left.

Naruto stood there dumbfounded, before he made his rounds through the cabin, as seeing Percy was done with his share.

Naruto walked through camp telling everybody about capture the flag. On his way around he gave a man hug to an Apollo camper, said hi to Hestia, and gave an archery tip to a Pollux. He also 'accidently' woke up some Ares kid from his midday nap and he yelled at Naruto to go away.. well until he realized who it was, and he instantly apologized.

When Naruto asked him where Clarisse was he said, "She went on a quest with Chiron… and I honestly don't know the rest."

Nodding Naruto thanked the camper, and promised him a spar.

Then the Son of Hermes went to his cabin, and then was caught up on the news with the Stoll brothers… no they really just went over prank ideas.

When Naruto finally made it to dinner, he found a miserable looking Son of Poseidon sitting head down at his cabin table.

Sighing the blonde ninja clasped his hand on the demi-god's shoulder, "If you need someone to talk to…"

Percy lifted his head, and sent the blonde a grateful glance. "Thanks."

Shrugging Naruto made his way to the for-once-not-crowded Hermes cabin table, sending Thalia a friendly wave. The said Daughter of Zeus rolled her eyes proceeding in eating her barbeque, and drinking from her never-empty non-alcoholic soda goblet.

Nico sat with the rest of the Hermes cabin, since new campers always got stuck there if their Olympian parent was unknown. Nico was watching Naruto with wide eyes as the blonde seemed to be making a good choice of move in that Mythomagic game…

Looks like Nico's hero worship got bigger.

The only table that really seemed to be having a good time was the Artemis table. The Hunters drank and ate and laughed like one big happy family. Zoe sat at the head, and even though she didn't laugh as much as the others, she did smile from time to time.

When they'd finished eating, Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis.

The clapping was pretty halfhearted.

Then he announced the "good will" capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception. Afterward everyone all trailed back to their cabins for an early, winter lights out.

Naruto was exhausted, and even Nico's rambling didn't keep him up as he fell into a blissful sleep. The sleep was the good part. The bad part was, he had a nightmare.

At first it started with him back in the clearing.

This time instead of the mama deer and baby, a prideful stag stood in their place, seeming to be staring straight at him through the trees.

The weirdest part about the stag was its antlers… were pure gold.

And once again Naruto had his bow drawn, his arrow pointing straight for the eye.

He stared at the stag, as it stared back, and the silence stretched… and then Naruto released the arrow. He didn't know what caused it. It was as if someone else was in control of his body.

Then the arrow hit, and the stag's cry turned into a piercing scream, and in the stags place was Artemis.

Then chains, horrid chains sprouted from the ground, entangling the weakened Goddess, strapping her to the ground. Naruto watched in horror, unable to move, as the Goddess' screams became moans of pain, and then silence…

Naruto woke up so suddenly he banged his head against the top of the bunk.

He groaned in pain before quickly pulling on a shirt, and tearing off his night cap.

He needed to tell Chiron.

He needed to tell Chiron _now_.

Artemis was in deep shit trouble.

* * *

**Betaed by **_**HybridTailedFox and ILikeSharpObjects**_

**DONE!**

**FINISHED!**

**HOWEVER YOU PUT IT THIS CHAPTER IS OVA!**

**I have to admit it took me a couple of hours to revise and go through this one.**

**I didn't know what to do about the dream, but I like the finished product and hope ya'll like it too.**

**So review, and I'll love ya forever!**

**-XM**

**P.S. I finally finished The Son of Neptune, and yeah I'm late lol.**

**My friend kept "forgetting" the book, and I never got around to buying it... it was good but could've been better. I mean Rick pretty much took away the scen we've all been anticipating/waiting FOREVER FPR!**

**Sigh... Oh well let's hope there will be more Percabeth later... Although I am not liking the sound of That Mark of Athena prophecy...**


	6. She's Alive?

**XoverMasta: Hey all… *pulls down sun glasses* as ya'll know I am tired right now, and I really need some res—**

**Naruto: I'M HE~RE! *kicks down the door* Hold the applause.**

**XoverMasta: And there goes my quiet.**

**Naruto: Pshhh. Quiet who needs quiet!?**

**XoverMasta: Apparently not me.**

**Naruto: *Claps XM on the shoulder* Exactly. Glad you see my point. **

**XoverMasta: … Just do the damn disclaimer.**

**Naruto: Eh, no longer my job remember? You gave Percy that raise and now—**

**Percy: XoverMasta does not own Percy Jackson or Naruto. If she did me and Annabeth would've got together **_**way **_**sooner… Wait me and Annabeth get togeth—**

**XoverMasta: On to the story!**

* * *

**She's Alive?**

* * *

The next morning shouts of anger could be heard, as well as the rip of straw dummies… As you can guess Chiron then called the training grounds off limits.

Naruto swung his scythe, instantly beheading a straw dummy, his rage boiling.

Chiron had refused to call upon a quest, stating thier wasn't actual proof, even when Zoe herself had barged in claiming the same thing.

Snarling Naruto threw down Messengers Crescent, his prized weapon clattering against the floor. He knew he looked like a wreck because he felt like one too.

His recently cut hair was mused into their signature spikes, the gel he'd put on earlier had been sweated off. Dirt, grime, and sweat soaked through his shirt, his knuckles bleeding from his earlier physical training.

Letting out his final scream of anguish the blonde fell to the ground in a heap, going into his pocket Naruto fished out the other source of his confusion.

A brochure… about the Hunters of Artemis. The front read, A WISE CHOICE FOR YOUR FUTURE! Inside were pictures of young maidens doing hunter stuff, chasing monsters, shooting bows. There were captions like: HEALTH BENEFITS: IMMORTALITY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU! and A BOY-FREE TOMORROW!

Naruto gripped the paper, the thought of losing someone who was like his little sister hurt him... even if it was to Artemis. He couldn't help but feel betrayed... he knew it was her choice to make, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

With a heave, the Son of Hermes left the traing ground, to search for a certain Son of Poseidon whom would want to see this.

Xx

"I've got to talk to Zoe," Percy said, just as Naruto arrived.

"Yeah you don't want to do that now, she's almost as pissed as I am." Naruto said, earning a nod of greeting from Percy. "Here," he sighed throwing Percy the brochure.

"What is this?"

"Do you think it was pure coincidence for Artemis to show up?" Naruto questioned, before pointing to the brochure. "They were scouting us."

"Scouting us? What do you mean?"

"Read it."

And Percy did, a range of emotions appearing on his face after he skimmed through it.

"That was in Annabeth's back pack."

Percy stared at him. "I don't understand." His voice cracked.

"Perce… I think Annabeth was thinking of joining."

Percy would like to say he took the news well.

But the truth was, he wanted to strangle the Hunters of Artemis one eternal maiden at a time.

Naruto tried to focus during the rest of the day… but everything kept reminding him of either Annabeth or Artemis.

He couldn't do archery, knife throwing, or even Pegasus riding without the feeling of guilt racking through his body. Hell he couldn't even read.

The campers gave Naruto a wide berth—even the Stoll brothers realized their brother needed time alone and let him be.

That night after dinner, the whole camp was revving to seriously beat the Hunters at capture the flag. It was going to be a small game: only thirteen Hunters, including Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers. Zoe Nightshade looked pretty upset. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he was making her do this.

_**Well we can't blame her.**_Kurama sighed, he'd honestly taken a liking to the Goddess.

Like the satyr said she was just... so into nature... _and _animals.

Naruto nodded, at the Kyuubi's words, he was still very distracted, and he once again tried to force the leader role on Thalia who—once again—declined.

The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying.

On camps team, they had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares and Apollo cabin, the Stoll brothers and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids.

Even Naruto snapped out of his stupor long enough to be surprised. Usually the Aphrodite kids sat on the sidelines, chatted, and checked their reflections in the river and stuff, but when they heard the team was fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!"

And with that sentence Naruto became professional, coming up with a battle plan right on the spot.

"Alright as most of you know the Hunters are long range fighters." Naruto said a smirk forming on his face. "And everyone here is a close to mid-range combat specialist, with the exception of Will… so I was thinking on having every cabin do as they do best."

Naruto turned to the Hephaestus cabin, "Beck, you got some E-Rank Greek Fire on you?"

"Do you have to ask?"

Naruto's smile widened, "I was thinking about traps…" he turned to the Stolls and Nico, "And I am sure you guys can help with that."

The three boys raised an eyebrow their smiles matching Naruto's.

"Of course." They synchronized.

"Percy, Thalia." Naruto's eyes took a wicked gleam, "May I ask you two a question?"

"Sure?"

"What happens when you mix water and electricity?"

"Well you get… ohhh." Thalia said her eye's widening.

"That's right." Naruto smirked. "The stream is the easiest way to get on our land, so I'm going to need you two to defend the border."

Both children of the Big three nodded.

"And now Will." Naruto turned to the other blonde. "Since me and you are the only archers we're going to be part of the offensive group, with the rest of the Ares cabin… just make sure to stay low." He then turned to the Aphrodite cabin. "And now last., but certainly not least." Naruto looked at Silena. "Pegasus girl if—no when—the hunters make it through the Hephaestus cabin's traps, you and your cabin mates are going to attack them with the greatest weapon known to woman."

"Our nails?"

"No perfume."

"… Will that work?"

Naruto shrugged, "It's worth a shot… all I know is girl's seem to have really good throwing arms when they're pissed."

Chiron's hooves then thundered on the pavilion floor.

"Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

"Errr, Naruto aren't traps intentionally maiming?"

"No, it would be their fault for falling for them." Naruto then yelled, "Offence team, assemble, and follow me!"

Nodding seriously, they did as instructed.

The campers set their flag at the top of Zeus's Fist. A cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods look like a huge fist sticking out of the ground… if you look at it the right way.

Anyway, it was a good place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to climb, so the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it… especially with Silena's arm.

"Alright, I'll be the decoy." Naruto announced. "Will can I count on you to lead the main party?"

"Course."

Nodding a farewell Naruto veered to the left.

He wasn't dumb, he knew that out of all the campers he was the threat… so hopefully the Hunters would only focus on him, so his comrades at least got out of this only slightly battered.

The horn then sounded, and Naruto crossed the border.

At first Naruto was surprised at the lack of guards, as he was able to glide through the forest pretty easily… but he spoke too soon.

Five hunters appeared before him, bows cocked and at ready.

"Errrr… hi ladies, nice weather we're having?" Naruto ducked under a dull arrow. "Guess not."

Dodging another set of arrows Naruto veered behind a tree, pulling out his own bow in the process.

Slipping out an arrow Naruto ran out from the protection of the tree, and fired one right towards a Huntress' head.

And as expected she ducked, but momentarily her eyes strayed from Naruto giving him enough time to run past her deeper into Hunter territory.

"Don't let him escape!"

And of course that's when Naruto bumped into Will.

"Owww." Naruto grunted before his eyes widened, "Dude what are you doing here!?"

"Hunters."

"You too?"

"Yeah." Soon the Ares campers joined them. "Listen Naruto let's switch, you're the fastest one here, if any one can get it, it's you."

"Bu—"

"Go!" Will pointed to the opposite direction, "It's over there, we'll distract them."

Nodding Naruto dashed off. Already his heightened senses could make out a silver flag. Only one guard… Naruto charged.

Then the guard turned, it was Bianca di Angelo. Her eyes widened as the blonde slammed into her and she went sprawling in the snow.

"Sorry!" Naruto yelped apologetically, before he ripped the silver flag from the tree, and shot off.

He was fifty feet away before Bianca managed to yell for help.

And right on time a silvery cord raced across Naruto's ankles and fastened to the tree next to him. A trip wire fired from a bow!? But luckily Naruto had been training with a scythe for the last two years, so using his forward momentum Naruto grabbed the flag in his mouth before doing a front flip.

He smirked when he heard the Hunter gasp in surprise.

It instantly vanished when an arrow exploded at his feet, and a cloud of of yellow smoke billowed around him. His heightened senses made the unbearable smell, even more unbearable… man he really had to apologize to Kiba for farting in his face.

Holding his breath Naruto continued forward.

His eyes widened when he heard yelling from his teams side of the creek. Zoe Nightshade, was racing toward him, dodging campers and perfume bottles with no trouble. And she had the flag in her hands.

**_Damn. Run Kit! We are not losing to these Hunters!_**

Naruto nodded as he picked up speed, Zoe Nightshade a yard from the water until he bolted past… and when he did campers cheered on both sides.

Chiron appeared out of the woods, a smile on his face, even as he carried the two Stoll brothers. Both of the boys seemed worse for wear, but happy about the turnout.

"The Campers win!" Chiron announced with pleasure. "For the first time in fifty-five games!"

Naruto smiled before he turned to Zoe, and offered his hand.

"Good game."

The lieutenant looked at his hand distastefully, before sighing, "You too." She muttered grasping his hand in a rough shake.

Naruto smiled, but slowly it vanished as he paled, looking over Zoe's shoulder.

"What the hell…"

Raising an eyebrow Zoe turned around to see what he was staring at.

Someone… something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.

"This is impossible," Chiron said the smile leaving his face. "It… she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around our feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

"She's alive!?" Naruto gaped. "I always thought she was a prop."

Cue face-palms.

And then a raspy voice rang out in his head, making Naruto clutch his ears and wince.

_I am the sprit of Delphi, the voice of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python._

**_And I am Kurama, the almighty Kyuubi, destroyer of mountains, and causer of tidal waves._**

Naruto dead panned, while the Oracle seemed to be regarding him, as if trying to decide what to do with him… or his tenant. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade.

_Approach, Seeker, and ask._

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. A vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks… She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle spoke:

_Five shall go west to the goddess in chains_

_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

_The bane of Olympus shows the trail,s_

_Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

_The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

_And one shall perish by a parent's hand._

Then the Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years…

* * *

**DONE!**

**Betaed by _ILikeSharpObjects and HybridTailedFox_**

**As I said before to all of you wondering why the prophecy didn't change is because Naruto's presence wasn't planned, so as a result he has a reasonable amount of power over prophecies.**

**Also to those of you who say Artemis swore to never _touch _ a man then... have you ever read the myth with her and Orion? -.- She just swore to never lose her virginity, which means in case you don't know, she swore to never have SEX. And if you don't know what sex is I'm not telling you so go ask your Guardian, or parents.**

**And if you guys haven't noticed the Gods break _many _of their oaths... now I'm not promising something, I'm just saying.**

**Anyway... Review!**

**Please?**

**-XM**

**P.S. Oh yeah Halloween is coming up, in a couple of weeks... lol. Man after so many Halloween's you sorta run out of costume ideas...**

**P.P.S. Also who else is excited for 'The Sea of Monsters'!? that is coming out next year XD Even though the director and cast F**ked up the whole damn plot (THALIA!? CLARISSE!? PROPHECY!? BIG THREE!? ANNABETHS HAIR!?), the movie itself wasn't that bad... Please tell me I'm not th only PJO fan who thinks that.**


	7. Quest

**XoverMasta: Hey all today I have a special guest! Say hello to Artemis.**

**Artemis: Yes well you should know the only reason I'm here is because I'm still trying to RECRUIT you!**

**XoverMasta: Yeah well… you're a tad late on that. Already got a boyfriend, as will you… very soon.**

**Artemis: How many times must I tell you mortal? I see Naruto as only a comerade.**

**XoverMasta: Surrrrreeeeee. Then why—**

**Naruto: Oi XM Percy is here an—oh uh… Hey Artemis… *smile***

**Artemis: Hello... Naruto.**

**Naruto: Yeah. *bites lip***

**XoverMasta: And before I drown in the waves of sexual tension coming off these two, Percy would you do the honors?**

**Percy: Course. XoverMasta does not own Percy Jackson or Naruto. If she did me and Annabeth would've got together way sooner… Riptide would be able to talk, and Jason would have way less screening time.**

* * *

**Quest**

* * *

Man Naruto thought Kakashi was lazy before, but the Oracle made a whole new level on the laziness chart, this woman (she was a woman right?) actually made the Cyclops look busy reading porn.

The least the Oracle could've done was walk back to the attic by herself, but noooooo. And thus Naruto was chosen to carry the mummy-women bridal style up to the attic.

Letting out a groan at the smell of snakes, Naruto brought the woman to her resting place—coughing when he placed her down, dust flying everywhere.

"Damn, you'd think she'd clean her place sometime."

His musings were interrupted by Thalia tromping up the stairs, "Oi Naruto get your ass downstairs!"

"What's up?" Naruto asked dusting off his hands.

"Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said.

"He does realize half of them aren't here right?"

"Yep."

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine.

Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of them were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke… Naruto asked for sake.

Mr. D and Chiron sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo took the other end. Thalia Grover, and Percy sat along the right, and the other head councillors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left. Naruto walked into the room taking his place on Travis' right.

The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"I agree." Naruto dead panned.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. "You heard the prophecy. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get five hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your" Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"As fun as this is." Naruto said seriously. "The prophecy did say you _do_ need the camps help, so we," he turned to face Thalia, "Must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

At this Naruto's face formed a grimace.

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and two," Percy said.

Everyone turned to Percy.

"We're supposed to have five," The Son of Poseidon said, feeling self-conscious. "Three Hunters, two from Camp Half-Blood. That's more than fair."

"Well…" Thalia said. "It does make sense."

Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear:The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

Zoe picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it like she was deciding who she wanted to whack first. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

"Well all in all it sounds like at least two of the five are going to die."

"Or… perhaps not." Chiron turned towards Naruto. "If I may, I would like to tell them of your secret."

"Well it's not much of a secret now." Naruto shrugged, "Go ahead I trust all these people."

Chiron nodded, before turning to face the rest of the council. "This is classified intel, all of you must swear on the River Styx never to tell till it goes public."

Everyone shared uneasy glances, but they all did so.

"Alright then." Chiron took a deep breath, "As some of you know Naruto is not from this world, but his father, Hermes brought him here to help retrieve Zeus' master bolt… Dimension hopping never ends well, as it causes somekind of unbalance, and the unbalance Naruto brought was his power over prophecies."

Chiron rubbed his temples, "Neither the Gods or Fates predicted his presence, and even now they don't know where exactly he is without seeing him in front of them—"

"So what you are saying, is to bring this… boy on the quest with us!?"

"Along with the other five." Chiron nodded, "Naruto is to be made an exception… as you said, there's strength in numbers."

Zoe grumbled before reluctantly nodding, "Fine…"

"Now." The centaur said, "Let's start with who else should be going… the Hunters first. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoe nodded.

"The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added..

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his brothers, deciding to keep quiet… after all it was dicks before chicks or something like that. Even though he promised Zoe they wouldn't cause any trouble... who knows maybe they were just being nice... for once.

Zoe took the T-shirt, sighing.

"As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."

Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But… I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoe insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

"Yourself." Naruto coughed.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked. "Naruto of course, but who else?"

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he is a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered. "Very well… And the second camper?"

"I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her.

And of course Percy did.

"Whoa, wait a sec," Percy said. "I want to go too."

Thalia said nothing. Chiron was still studying Percy, his eyes sad. Even Naruto averted his gaze.

"Oh," Grover said, suddenly aware of the problem. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't mean… I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."

"He cannot," Zoe said. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."

"You traveled here with me," Percy reminded her.

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

"What about Naruto?"

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a dimension hopper, technically he doesn't exist..."

"Hey!" Naruto protested. "I'll have you know I'm the manliness person in this room!"

"Oi!"

"No offence."

"I have to go," Percy said redirecting the subject back to him. "I need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

Percy felt himself blushing, "No! I mean, partly. I just…"

There was a moment of silence till Grover burst out laughing, "I WIN THE BET NARUTO! I told you they'd get together in three years or less!"

"Hey, hey, hey." Naruto shook his head, "I don't think so, Percy." He turned to the beet red Son of Poseidon. "You guys aren't together right?"

"N-No of course not!"

"Told ya!" the blonde smirked, "Bets still on!"

Chiron blinked before sighing, adjourning the council.

"So be it," he said. "Thalia, Naruto, and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods"—he glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with you."

When Naruto went to sleep that night he was again haunted by a vision of Artemis.

This time the dream started with Annabeth who seemed to be kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired even to cry out. Her legs trembled. Naruto's nostrils flared.

He'd kill the sick bastard who did this.

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed.

Luke emerged from the shadows. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man. "She's fading. We must hurry."

Naruto watched his fist clenching, wishing for nothing else than Luke's neck at the moment.

The deep voice chuckled. It belonged to someone in the shadows.

Then a muscular hand thrust someone forward into the light—Artemis—her hands and feet bound in celestial bronze chains—the same chains from his previous night mare.

Naruto let out an unconscious growl. Her silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Both the demi-god, and Goddess' eyes flashed in anger.

Then the goddess looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this!"

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

At this Naruto tried to move, fighting against his invisible binds hopelessly.

As if sensing his presence Annabeth looked over to him, making a weak sound of protest.

"Free my hands," Artemis said, and the blonde screamed in horror.

Luke brought out his sword and with one expert strike, he broke the goddess's handcuffs.

Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."

"Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis spit at him.

"On that note," the man said cheerily, "Luke, you may kill the girl now."

"NO!" Naruto roared the Goddess soon echoing him.

Luke hesitated. "She—she may yet be useful, sir.. Further bait."

"Bah! You truly believe that?"

"Yes, General. They will come for her... _He _will come for her. I'm sure."

The man considered. "Then the dracaenae can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life will be meaningless. The lives of all mortals will be meaningless."

Luke gathered up Annabeth's body and carried her away from the goddess.

"You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands, now if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and that young male you've gotten _so _attached too."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh I would… don't worry I'll make sure their quest is… challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse.

Naruto woke up screaming,

* * *

**DONE!**

**Betaed by **_**HybridTailedFox**_

**So I decided to finally let Naru-chan have a demi-god dream.**

**Why you ask?**

**Well because ARTEMIS IS IN IT :D :D :D :D :D**

**Any ways REVIEW!**

**Please, I mean I know alot of authors complain about this but I have had a huge decline in reviews... and I mean hugid!**

**So review please for my sanity's sake!?**

**-XM**


	8. Missing Tora

**XoverMasta: Hey guys! *clears throat* so as some of you may recall, in the first chapter I kicked this dude out the door.**

**Naruto: And now he's back… as Luke's stunt double!**

**Mysterious Guy: Yes! And for the last time my name is Ja—**

**Naruto: Anyway you're needed on set dude an—**

**Mysterious Guy: My name is J—**

**Luke: *Burst into the room* Alright double you're on! *Pushes Mysterious Guy out door* Anyway since I'm now going on short vacation can you take this make up off my face?**

**XoverMasta: Of course not! You're needed for Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters movie!**

**Luke: Whaaaa!? But I thought since they fucked up the first one they wouldn't make a sequel!**

**XoverMasta: We all thought that, but those stupid movie producers once again proved us wrong.**

**Luke: Ahhh man…**

**XoverMasta: But anyways… PERCY GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!**

**Percy: *Runs in* I'm here! *Clears throat nervously* XoverMasta does not own Percy Jackson or Naruto. If she did me and Annabeth would've got together way sooner… Riptide would be able to talk, and Jason would have way less screening time. She also would've made sure the cast for my movie had the correct hair color.**

* * *

**Missing Tora**

* * *

Naruto winced as Zoe once again shot him a glare.

It was obvious that she partly blamed him for the Stoll brothers prank they pulled on Phoebe… a prank even he admitted was wrong…

I mean Centaur blood seriously?

They should've at least mixed it with some itch cream, to make the stunt even _more _memorable….

Pfffffft. Amateurs.

Letting out a sigh he sank down in his seat, and closed his eyes. It originally had surprised him just how good of a driver Zoe was… but then again she was immortal, leading Naruto to again question her age.

She didn't look a day past sixteen, but probably was a billion years older than that.

Naruto snapped out of his musing when the said huntress veered to the left.

"Wha—"he collided into Bianca who let out a grunt of surprise.

"Oi!" he growled glaring at Zoe, "Watch where you—Holy shit was that even legal!" he screamed as Zoe cut off another car.

"Thy needs to hurry." The immortal said, "We need to find Artemis."

"I get it but isn't there a saying "Safety first!?"

"Who do you think made that phrase boy?"

"Wha—" they sped off.

They didn't stop till they reached Maryland, Zoe finally halting for a pit stop. Naruto had rushed out of the car in his need to pee, Grover soon following.

Thalia, Bianca, and Zoe looked at each other before rolling their eyes.

"Boys." They said simultaneously, then following the duo into the convenience store.

After releasing the… pressure in his bladder, Naruto made his way to the cash register to buy chips, only to by run into by Grover.

"Whoa, dude what in the Ha—"

"Naruto find the girls, we need to change our course!"

"Wait what—"

"Tracking spell—going the wrong way!" Grover took a deep gulp of air, "We need to—"

"Slow down man, take deep breaths and—"

"Just hurry!" at seeing his wide-eyed face Naruto complied, dragging a glaring Zoe, Thalia, and Bianca out of the store.

"Naruto what are you doing?" Thalia growled.

"Grover used a tracking spell and said we're moving the wrong way and—"

"Are you sure?" The Daughter of Zeus interrupted, turning to Grover who arrived at Naruto's side.

"Well… pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent."

"How did you do this tracking spell?" Naruto inquired.

"Acorns."

"You used acorns?"

"Yes."

"Seriously."

"Dead serious."

"Wait are you sure _acorns_ are reliable?" Bianca said, raising an eyebrow.

Grover looked offended. "It's a time-honored tracking spell. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did it right… We need to head to D.C."

"That is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I…" She frowned. "We used to live there. That's… that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"I dislike this," Zoe said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoe stepped toward her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know nothing of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, _scullion_ you're calling _me_ a scullion? What the heck is a scullion?"

"Hey, hey , hey." Naruto said waving his hands around, "Ladies let's not fight over me, there's more than enough to go around."

At their glares the blonde chuckled nervously. "Errr, I was just kidding… but… seriously girls. The prophecy also said we have to work together."

"Naruto's right," Bianca agreed. "We do need to work together, and so far I think, D.C. is our best bet."

Zoe paused before nodding reluctantly. "Very well… Let us keep moving."

"You're going to get us arrested, driving," Thalia grumbled. "I look closer to sixteen than you do."

"Perhaps," Zoe snapped. "But I have been driving since automobiles were invented. Let us go."

"Again we need to work to—"

"Shut up!" both of the girls growled, earning a cheerful smile from Naruto.

"See we're making progress."

Xx

When they stopped again it was at a museum.

Grover had asked for them to pull aside, saying they would find something important here. Naruto looked at the building unimpressed, while Thalia just nodded, before trudging out in the cold.

Upon entering the building, the blonde once again felt a familiar tug in his heart.

Annabeth should be here… she would've loved this.

Sighing to himself the blonde led the group through the museum, trying to find out the exact importance of it all. To him it was all stuff of the past, none of the stuff there truly fascinated him.

The only time he felt truly interested was when Grover found the real life—now stuffed animals, and tried to attack the security guard… and then Naruto unfortunately had to pull the goat off.

Finally when it was about time to go the real fun happened.

Thalia was standing there, with Naruto laughing their asses off about the Apollo space capsule, before Percy slammed into her.

Grover leaped back so fast, it surprised even the resident shinobi.

Before the Son of Poseidon could regain his balance, Zoe and Bianca had arrows notched, aimed at his chest.

Then Zoe realized who he was, she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow.

"You! How dare you show thy face here?"

"Percy!" Grover said. "Thank goodness."

Zoe glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Luke," Percy said, trying to catch his breath. "He's here."

At this anger blazed in Naruto's eyes, instantly he brought out his iPod, "Where?"

Then Percy told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General.

"The General is here?" Zoe looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—"

"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve, and that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

Naruto exchanged a look with Thalia.

"We were following Artemis's trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent… She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"Zoe," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General—"

"It cannot be!" Zoe snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Illusions don't crack marble floors," Percy told her.

Zoe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"Okay guys listen, "Naruto said bringing the attention to him, "If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors we do _not_ have time to argue. We have to leave now."

"Good idea." Percy agreed.

"We will not including thee, boy," Zoe interjected. "You are not part of this quest."

""Hey, I'm trying to save your liv—"

"You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said bluntly cutting off the Son of Poseidon. "But you're here now. And for all we know it's for the better, come on. Let's get back to the van."

"That is not thy decision!" Zoe snapped.

Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoe. I don't care how old you are! You're still a conceited little brat!"

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoe growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoe.

"Alright girls, let's settle do—"

Then everyone froze, as a growl was heard, so loud it almost made Naruto's eardrums burst.

A little kid's voice then screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

Then something about two heads smaller than Cerberus bounded up the ramp. Its silver claws gleamed, and its golden fur glowed.

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move."

The lion roared, its fangs gleamed like a polished kunai.

"Separate on my mark," Naruto muttered. "Try to keep it distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"Until I find a Gods damn opening. Go!"

Quickly typing in his father's code, his iPod morphed into his favorite weapon. Charging Naruto closed the distance between him and the lion, arrows whizzing past. He brought his scythe down from over his head, eyes widening when his prized possession bounced harmlessly off the lion's coat.

Regaining his bearings, he dodged the monsters outstretched claws, once again cursing the spectators; again he couldn't use any jutsu.

Quickly Naruto pulled the scythe over his head, blocking the cats giant claws that were inches from his neck.

Right now he sort of missed Tora.

The lion backed off waving his head back and forth as if analyzing the situation. Then the monster lunged, but this time his attack wasn't aimed for Naruto.

Thalia's eyes widened at the beast's lunge, bringing Aegus up to protect herself, and immediately the cat jumped back—as if in fear.

Then again Naruto swung his scythe, just wanting the monster to get away from his friends.

An arrow whizzed past his head. The lion jumped onto an aircraft, and the cords holding the plane began to groan. The lion swiped at Naruto once more, it's mouth opening in a roar, and inside its maw, a pink tongue and throat.

**_Kit the mouth!_**

_Right!_

"Zoe!" Naruto shouted. "Aim for the mouth!"

Rolling away from another strike Naruto decided that the pedestrians had enough of a show, "Grove, I need you to clear the area!"

Then feeling another presence, Naruto turned to see Thalia jump off the second-floor railing across from him. The lion regarded the duo, trying to decide which of them to kill first.

Zoe and Bianca were above, bows ready, but they kept having to move around to get a good angle.

"No clear shot!" Zoe yelled. "Get it to open its mouth more!"

The lion snarled…

"Hey!" a voice suddenly said, ringing out from across the room. Riptide then soared through the air bouncing off the lion's side.

The said animal turned towards the source of the blade and growled.

Percy then charged, seeming to be searching in a… space food pouch for something…

Then he chunked a space food pouch into its mouth—a chunk of cellophane-wrapped, freeze-dried strawberry parfait.

The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball.

Understanding the situation Naruto stood his scythe slanted at ready.

"Snack time!" Percy yelled.

The lion made the mistake of roaring, and Percy got an ice-cream sandwich in its throat.

The lion's eyes bugged. It opened its mouth wide and reared up on its back paws, trying to get away from him.

Then Naruto charged, and with expert aim, he brought his scythe down, the blade clashing against the beast's throat.

The lion thrashed wildly, sick gurgling sounds escaping it's mouth, it turned, and fell backward. Then it was still…

Alarms wailed throughout the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were running around in a panic with no idea what was going on. Zoe and Bianca dropped from the balcony and landed next to the boys.

Zoe eyed them both cautiously. "That was… an interesting strategy."

"Hey, it worked."

She didn't argue.

The lion seemed to be melting, the way dead monsters do sometimes, until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt.

"Take it," Naruto said simply.

Percy looked at him in surprise. "What, the lion's fur? Isn't that, like, an animal rights violation or something?"

"Spoil of war." Naruto said grimly.

"You killed it," Percy said.

"Yeah, that's the fur Hercules used Naruto." Grover added his eyes wide. "You definitely deserve it."

Naruto looked at the fur, then back at Percy, "Nahhh, I'm good." He laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "Besides Kurama wouldn't really appreciate it... And I think your astronaut food was the thing that killed it." He clapped Percy on the shoulder, "You can go take it buddy… besides animal fur is not my style."

_**And orange is?**_

_Don't diss the orange!_

Chuckling Percy brought the fur to his shoulders. And slowly the pelt shifted and changed into a coat—a full-length golden-brown duster.

"Not your style either." Naruto laughed, earning himself small smiles from the group.

Breaking the companionable silence Grover said, "We have to get out of here. The security guards won't stay confused for long."

Then Naruto finally noticed how the guards were just scrambling away from them, running into walls, or each other.

"You did that?" Naruto asked, thoroughly impressed.

The satyr nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "A minor confusion song. I played some Barry Manilow. It works every time. But it'll only last a few seconds."

"The security guards are not our biggest worry," Zoe said. "Look."

Through the glass walls of the museum, a group of men were walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits.

"Go," Percy said. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them."

"No," Zoe said. "We go together."

Percy stared at her. "But, you said—"

"What Zoe is trying to say is, your now part of the quest." Naruto smiled. "Looks like you are the fifth member… And I definitely don't leave my comrades behind.

* * *

**DONE!**

**Betaed by **_**ILikeSharpObjects, **_**and **_**HybridTailedFox**_

**So again Naruto is underpowered, but again he didn't want to reign destruction and mayhem everywhere… So I hope you enjoyed!**

**And if you didn't... well fudge you alright. I've been freaking sick. I mean seriously there's literally a bucket next to me as I type. I must have lost twenty pounds I've been vomiting so much.**

**But anyways... ****REVIEW!**

**Please?**

**-XM**

**P.S. In case you haven't already guessed I may not be updating in a while.**


	9. Homeless Guy Turned God

**XoverMasta: Hey all, you know ever since I brought in Kyuubi-sama (aka **_**HybridTailedFox**_**) I thought it was a little unfair that I didn't bring in my other Beta… So here he is ILikeSharpObjects get your emo-ass in here!**

**ILikeSharpObjects: For the last time I'm not emo… I just like black!**

**XoverMasta: Whatever you say! *smiles brightly* you do have the Justin Bieber haircut though!**

**ILikeSharpObjects: For the last time Beaver copied my hair, and it's not Justin Bieber hair, I don't have the bowl cut! My hair is straight, not a hacked up hairball!**

**XoverMasta: Whatever… You know I actually do like JB some… I mean I reallllllyyyy don't like his music, but he seems like a cool person.**

**Naruto: *listening to iPod* Sombody to Love! I—**

**Percy: You listen to Justing Bieber!?**

**Naruto: Course not, you know how many songs are called 'Somebody to Love!?'**

**XoverMasta: Alright, enough guys, I think our readers would like us to get on with the story, so Percy if you will…**

**Percy: Mkay then… XoverMasta does not own Percy Jackson or Naruto. If she did me and Annabeth would've got together way sooner… Riptide would be able to talk, and Jason would have way less screening time. She also would've made sure the cast for my movie had the correct hair color, and Logan Lerman had more shirtless scenes… You are disgusting XM.**

* * *

**Homeless Guy turned God**

* * *

The six of them were crossing the Potomac before Naruto heard a helicopter. He turned just in time to spot the sleek, black military vehicle… that was heading straight for them.

"They know the van," Naruto growled. "We have to leave it."

Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully.

"Doubt it." Naruto sighed, "They probably think it's one of theirs."

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than they were through D.C. traffic.

Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?"

Nothing happened.

_**Foolish girl, she forgot the God's aren't allowed to interfere. **_

Naruto rolled his eyes, _Cut her some slack._

"There!" Bianca shouted breaking Naruto out of his inner conversation. "That parking lot!"

"We'll be trapped," Zoe said.

"Trust me," Bianca said

Zoe nodded before she shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river.

"Subway entrance," Bianca said. "Let's go south. Alexandria."

"You know this place well or something!?"

The girl just shrugged.

They bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, Naruto stationed henged clones at the entrance, to look for the mercinaries. A few minutes later they were all aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C.

Grover let out a sigh. "Nice job, Bianca, thinking of the subway."

Bianca looked pleased. "Yeah, well. I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it, because it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "New? This looks pretty old."

"I guess," Bianca said. "But trust me, when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway."

Thalia sat forward. "Wait a minute. No subway at all?"

Bianca nodded.

"Bianca," Zoe said. "How long ago…" Her voice faltered. The sound of the helicopter was getting louder again.

"Come on we need to change trains." Naruto said.

Over the next half hour, the quest members went slipped into more and more trains, Naruto handed out some hoodies from his storage seal to cover their faces.

Unfortunately, when they finally got off the train they found themselves in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow.

Even more snow than the Land of Snow—now named Spring.

The quest members wandered in search of a train, only finding unused training cars.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire, he smiled at the hexa and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!'

_**Kit there's something strange about that man.**_

_I know._

Cautiously they huddled around his fire, Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said, "Well this is g-g-g-great."

Naruto chuckled, before putting his arm over her shoulder, letting some of his chakra leave his body to pump through her system.

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Feet," Percy quickly corrected, for the sake of the homeless guy.

"Maybe we should contact camp," Bianca said. "Chiron—"

"No," Zoe said. "They cannot help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves."

Naruto nodded in agreement, sighing,

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends."

The whiskered blonde smiled at that, "I know."

The man nodded, a soft smile growing on his face. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," Percy said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand.

Naruto did a double-take as he noticed a freight train, gleaming _and _free of this fucking white stuff! The side of the train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's… convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh…"

She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone….

An hour later they were rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because they all got their own luxury car. Zoe and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, and Naruto got an _orange _Porsche… life was good.

Sighing for what might have been the hundredth time of the day Naruto stepped out of his car. And then made his way to Thalia, who had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt-rock stations from D.C.

"Can I join you?" Naruto asked.

She grunted, and Naruto climbed into shotgun.

He closed his eyes as he listened to the music that played softly from the stereos.

"Thanks for warming me up back there." Thalia said.

"No problem." Naruto shrugged. "It's what family does."

At his words, Thalia's eyes saddened. "Yeah…"

"So..." Naruto cleared his throat in an attempt to break the awkwardness, "You have any idea of the monster Artemis was hunting?"

She shook her head. "But you know where we're going, don't you? San Francisco. That's where Artemis was heading."

"Really now?" Naruto said his eyes narrowing. "If I remember correctly we Gree—I mean demi-gods aren't supposed to go there correct?"

"Yep." Thalia said popping the 'p'. "The Mist is really thick there. Titan magic—what's left of it—still lingers. Monsters are attracted to that area like you wouldn't believe."

_Oh I know._

Then they entered a companionable silence. Naruto quickly glanced at Thalia, and then almost flinched in surprise. With her eyes cast down, and closed, sitting in the shadows of the car, Thalia looked a lot like one of the Hunters...

Then it all hit, "That's why you don't get along with Zoe."

Thalia frowned. "What?"

"The Hunters tried to recruit you."

Her eyes got dangerously bright. And unfortunately Naruto knew that look anywhere… the look of a fucking pissed off woman….

But then she just sighed. "I almost joined them," Thalia admitted softly. "Luke, Annabeth, and I ran into them once, and Zoe tried to convince me. She almost did, but…"

Thalia looked down, and Naruto didn't press, knowing she would tell when ready…

Then Thalia's fingers gripped the wheel. "But I… I would've had to leave Luke." A few tears leaked from her eyes and Naruto put his arm around her shoulder.

"Zoe and I got into a fight. She told me I was being stupid. She said I'd regret my choice. She said Luke would let me down someday."

"…"

"I know what you're thinking. She _wasn't_ right! Luke _never_ let me down. Never."

"I know." Naruto sighed, giving Thalia's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But you should know Thalia that Luke isn't the guy he used to be."

Thalia didn't answer.

Naruto opened the car door, and began to step out, "If you need me, I'll be in my car."

"Naruto…" the said ninja turned around. "I-I don't know if I'd be able to kill him."

The blonde turned away, he could see Thalia's eyes were red with unshed tears.

"Hopefully… It will not come to that." Then he left.

In his car Naruto again sighed, reclining his seat back, not yet ready to sleep. He didn't want another dream.

"Oh, don't be afraid of dreams," a voice said right next to him.

Quickly turning Naruto, was somehow not very surprised at seeing the homeless guy from the yard, sitting in the passenger seat.

"If it weren't for dreams," he said, "I wouldn't know half the things I know about the future. They're better than Olympus tabloids." He cleared his throat, then held up his hands dramatically:

"Dreams like a podcast,

Downloading truth in my ears.

They tell me cool stuff"

"Apollo." Naruto deadpanned, Artemis wasn't kidding about the bad poetry part.

He put his finger to his lips. "I'm incognito. Call me Fred."

"Fred?" Naruto repeated.

"Yep."

"A God… named Fred?"

"Eh, well… Zeus insists on certain rules. Hands off, when there's a human quest. Even when something really major is wrong. But nobody messes with my baby sister. Nobody."

At those words Naruto internally smiled. "Can you help us, then?"

" I already have. Haven't you been looking outside?"

"So that's why we're moving so fast." Naruto smirked.

Apollo chuckled. "Fast is a light way of putting it... Unfortunately, we're running out of time. It's almost sunset. But I imagine we'll get you across a good chunk of America, at least."

"But where is… Artemis?"

His face darkened. "I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don't know that. She's… clouded from me. I don't like it."

"What about the monster Artemis was seeking?" Naruto inquired. "Do you know what it is?"

"No," Apollo said. "But there is one who might. If you haven't yet found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle."

"But shouldn't you know since you're the God of Prophecy?"

Fred checked his nonexistent watch. "Ah, look at the time! I have to run. I doubt I can risk helping you again, Naruto, but remember what I said! Get some sleep! And when you return, I expect a good haiku about your journey!"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but Apollo snapped his fingers, and Naruto drifted.

Xx

When Naruto awoke they'd arrived in New Mexico, on the outskirts of a ski resort. And guess what was piled high everywhere?

That's right!

DAMN FUCKING SNOW!

Naruto pouted, even he was a bit chilled. As they walked down main street, the blonde told the rest of the group about his little chat with Apollo. About how he'd told him to seek out Nereus in San Francisco.

Grover looked uneasy. "That's good, I guess. But we've got to get there first."

Naruto nodded depressingly.

If he was alone he could probably make it their in a day or less, but with company, he was most likely going to take _way _longer.

They stopped in the middle of town. From there you could see all the buildings… about twenty in total, and half of them were houses.

"Great," Thalia muttered, looking around. "No bus station. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" Grover smiled.

"Yes," Zoe said. "Coffee is good."

"And pastries," Grover said dreamily. "And wax paper."

Naruto face-palmed with Thalia.

Regaining her bearings, Thalia sighed. "Fine. How about you two go get us some food. Naruto, Percy, Bianca, and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions."

Nodding in agreement, they decided to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes. Bianca looked a little uncomfortable with the Big Three plus Hermes kids, but she did tag along.

Inside the store, Naruto found out pretty useless, and useful information.

There was no way out of this snow infested place without a car, and the store sold rubber rats for a dollar… also good to know.

"You could call for a taxi from Alamogordo," the clerk said doubtfully. "That's down at the bottom of the mountains, but it would take at least an hour to get here. Cost several hundred dollars.

The clerk looked lonely, so Percy bought a rubber rat.

Then they headed back out to the porch.

"Wonderful," Thalia grumped. "I'm going to walk down the street, see if anybody in the other shops has a suggestion."

"But the clerk said—"

"I know," she snapped. "I'm checking anyway."

Naruto watched her go with a raised eyebrow.

"And that's her in a good mood."

Bianca stifled a giggle, making Naruto smirk.

"So…" the blonde shinobi said, scratching the back of his head, "What's it like being a hunter?"

She pursed her lips. "You're not mad at me for joining, are you?"

"Not really." Naruto shrugged, "I get why you'd want to do it, and as long as you're happy right?"

"I'm not sure 'happy' is the right word, with Lady Artemis gone. But being a Hunter is definitely cool. I feel calmer somehow. Everything seems to have slowed down around me. I guess that's the immortality."

"I always wondered what it'd be like to live forever." Naruto said thoughtfully. "But then again, I'd later be awfully lonely… or bored… there are enough me being immortal fanfictions to prove that."

Bianca laughed, before her face became grim, "Nico didn't understand my decision…"

"Don't worry he'll be alright." Percy smiled, deciding to join the conversation. "Camp Half-Blood takes in a lot of young kids. They did that for Annabeth."

Bianca nodded. "I hope we find her. Annabeth, I mean. She's lucky to have a friends like you two."

Naruto smiled sadly, "A lot of good we did her."

"Don't blame yourself. You guys risked your lives to save my brother and me. I mean, that was seriously brave. If I hadn't met you two, I wouldn't have felt okay about leaving Nico at the camp. I mean come one Naruto, Nico _idolizes_ you."

"Well who wouldn't." Naruto said with a wink. "Don't worry I'll take care of the kid."

"Thank you." Bianca smiled.

A couple hundred yards away, Grover and Zoe came out of the coffee shop loaded down with pastry bags and drinks.

"So what's the story with you and Nico?" Percy asked her. "Where did you go to school before Westover?"

She frowned. "I think it was a boarding school in D.C. It seems like so long ago."

"You never lived with your parents? I mean, your mortal parent?"

"We were told our parents were dead. There was a bank trust for us. A lot of money, I think. A lawyer would come by once in a while to check on us. Then Nico and I had to leave that school."

"How come?"

She knit her eyebrows. "We had to go somewhere. I remember it was important. We traveled a long way. And we stayed in this hotel for a few weeks then… I don't know. One day a different lawyer came to get us out. He said it was time for us to leave. He drove us back east, through D.C. Then up into Maine. And we started going to Westover."

"So you've been raising Nico pretty much all your life?" Naruto asked. "Just the two of you?"

She nodded. "That's why I wanted to join the Hunters so bad. I mean, I know it's selfish, but I wanted my own life and friends. I love Nico—don't get me wrong—I just needed to find out what it would be like not to be a big sister twenty-four hours a day."

Naruto didn't answer, he honestly felt that family was most important… but he could understand the need for space.

"Zoe seems to trust you," Percy said. "What were you guys talking about, anyway—something dangerous about the quest?"

"When?"

"Yesterday morning on the pavilion," Percy said. "Something about the General."

Her face darkened. "How did you… The invisibility hat. Were you eavesdropping?"

Naruto looked between the two of them his eyes wide. "What happened!? Did I miss something!?"

Percy was saved from explaining when both Zoe and Grover arrived with drinks and pastries.

Hot chocolate for Bianca and Percy. Coffee for the them, and Chai tea for Naruto.

"We should do the tracking spell," Zoe said. "Grover, do you have any acorns left?"

"Umm," Grover mumbled. He was chewing on a bran muffin, wrapper and all. "I think so. I just need to—"

He froze.

Percy opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, before a breeze ruffled past. Naruto's eyes widened in shock, at the smell… the smell of home… of Konaha.

Zoe gasped. "Grover, thy cup."

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away—a flock of tiny doves. The rubber rat squeaked. It scampered off the railing and into the trees—real fur, real whiskers.

"No way." Naruto murmured, as Grover collapsed next to his coffee, groaning and eyes fluttering.

"Hey!" Thalia said, running up from the street. "I just… What's wrong with Grover?"

"I don't know," Percy said. "He collapsed."

"Uuuuuhhhh," Grover groaned.

"Well, get him up!" Thalia said. She had her spear in her hand. She looked behind her as if she were being followed. "We have to get out of here."

They made it to the edge of town before the skeleton's appeared, Naruto carrying Grover on his back.

Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiralled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn't flinch. Their glowing yellow eyes bored right into six of them.

Zoe and Bianca drew their bows, and Naruto stood in a fighting stance… it although looked awkward with Grover swooning on top of him.

"Back up," Thalia said. they started to—but then two more skeletons appeared on the road behind them. They were surrounded.

"It's near," Grover moaned.

"Shhhh." Naruto said, trying to calm Grover down.

"No," he insisted. "The gift. The gift from the Wild."

"I know buddy." Naruto said softly, "I know."

"We'll have to go one-on-one," Thalia said. "Four of them. Four of us. Naruto should stay out since, he's our back up… he'll help defend Grover."

"Agreed," said Zoe.

"The Wild!" Grover moaned.

Naruto kept nodding, his eyes so wide you could visibly see white.

A warm wind blew through the canyon, rustling the trees, and then there was a crashing sound.

"A gift," Grover muttered.

"It's here." The whiskered blonde said with awe.

And then, with a mighty roar, the largest pig in the world came crashing into the road.

It was a wild boar, thirty feet high, with a snotty pink snout and tusks the size of a small summoning animal. Its back bristled with brown hair, and its eyes were wild and angry.

"REEEEEEEEET!" it squealed, and raked the three skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great, they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere.

Then the pig turned to the quest members.

Thalia raised her spear, but Grover yelled, "Don't kill it.'"

The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge, but then stopped.

It's beady eyes seemed to calm as it directed it's gaze to Naruto its eyes hazy before it once again let out a loud cry.

Zoe and Bianca dived out of the way. Naruto had to push Grover down.

"It's the Blessing of the Wild!"

"Yeah I feel fucking blessed." Naruto growled his attitude toward the 'gift' suddenly changing. "Scatter people!"

And they did, running into different directions.

"It wants to kill us!" Thalia said.

"Of course," Grover said. "It's wild!"

"Some blessing this is!" Naruto deadpanned, as the boar charged.

Sighing the blonde stood his ground, getting into a low stance, before bringing his hands up to clasp around the boars tusk, throwing it the other direction.

"No!" Grover screamed.

"Keep moving!" Zoe yelled.

The boar recovered and once again charged.

And Naruto once again growled, before he grabbed both Thalia's an Percy's arm half-dragging them up the hill.

On the other side of the hill, were old stretch of train tracks, half buried in the snow.

"This way.'" Naruto said.

Ahead of them, was a covered tunnel. Past that, an old trestle bridge spanning a gorge.

"Follow me!"

Thalia slowed down, while Percy raced ahead.

"Keep going Perce!" Naruto yelled, before turning to Thalia, "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." She said her voice shaking slightly.

Naruto looked at her disbelievingly, but again pulled her along. When they made it to the other side of the tunnel she'd turned as white as ice.

The duo were at the edge of the bridge. Below, the mountain dropped away into a snow-filled gorge about seventy feet below. The boar was right behind them.

"Come on!" Naruto urged. "It'll hold us."

"I can't!" Thalia yelled. Her eyes were wild with fear.

The boar smashed into the covered tunnel, tearing through at full speed.

"Come on." Naruto said grabbing her hand.

She looked down and swallowed.

The boar was charging through the tunnel, straight toward them, there was no time to dodge with Thalia…

Naruto went to Plan Z tackling the Daughter of Zeus, so that they rolled down the side of the bridge. Tucking her head beneath his, and covering her major organs with his arms, Naruto grunted as he absorbed the impact.

The boar was amazingly less fortunate than Naruto; it couldn't turn fast, so all ten tons of the monster charged out onto the tiny trestle, which buckled under its weight. The boar free-fell into the gorge with a mighty squeal and landed in a snowdrift.

Taking a chance Naruto unwrapped one of his arms, and brought it out to act as a bunker, as he slammed into a tree.

Thalia was breathing hard into his chest, pine needles stuck in her spiky black hair. Next to them the wild boar was squealing and struggling.

Naruto then put the pieces together, "You're afraid of heights, and I'm afraid of bus rides."

At this Thalia couldn't help but laugh bitterly, "Our family is messed up."

Naruto snorted, "Don't I know it…"

Thalia stopped laughing when she saw the sad look Naruto was making. "You want to talk about it?"

"I-I…" Naruto sighed, "Yeah…" he turned to look at Thalia, "I… was on a mission… and I found some of the demi-gods Thalia. I took the bus they were traveling in, I tried to stop them I really did." He began to hyperventilate, "Kurama kept warning me to watch out, and I didn't… I-I killed them Thalia."

"Who? Naruto you aren't—"

"I found some of Chris Rodriguez's group. He's now a pawn of Luke's Thalia, I killed some of them. I ran them over. I killed my little sister. I killed little Marie it's all my—"

"They betrayed the camp Naruto." Thalia said, "They brought it on themselves."

"But Thalia I _killed_ my sister, I _killed_ my some of my friends." the blonde shook his head, "My carelessness killed my comrades."

"And your supposed 'carelessness' took down some of the enemy..." Thalia looked at him sadly, "Like you said to me they're not the same as they used to be..."

"Helloooooo?" Percy's voice rang out, interrupting Naruto. "You guys there!?"

"Down here!" Thalia shouted.

A few minutes later, Zoe, Bianca, Percy, and Grover joined them. They stood watching the wild boar struggle in the snow.

"A blessing of the Wild," Grover said, though he now looked agitated.

"I agree," Zoe said. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia said irritably. "Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover looked over, distracted. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

"No." Naruto dead panned.

Grover ignored him. "We need to get aboard. I wish… I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

"What's gone?"

Grover didn't seem to hear him. He walked over to the boar and jumped onto its back. Already the boar was starting to make some headway through the drift. Grover took out his pipes. He started playing a snappy tune and tossed an apple in front of the boar. The apple floated and spun right above the boar's nose, and the boar went nuts, straining to get it.

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great."

Naruto chuckled, before jumping on the boar, offering Thalia his hand, helping her up.

Zoe and Bianca walked toward the boar.

"Wait a second," Percy said suddenly. "Do you two know what Grover is talking about—this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoe said. "Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong… I never thought I would sense that presence again."

"What presence?"

"The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."

* * *

**DONE!**

**And in case some of you are like "Why would Naruto be upset about killing people?" well he didn't just kill anyone... he killed family. And family is the most important thing for Naruto.**

**Also next chapter I think is a talk with... you guessed it the GODDESS OF LOVE!**

**I had alot of fun with that one! XD**

**So anyways **

**R  
E  
V  
I  
E  
W**

!  
!

**Please?**

**-XM!**


	10. Holy Hephaestus' Junkyard

**XoverMasta: hey all guess who's here today!? That's right, everyone put your hands together for KURAMA!**

**Kurama: … Why did you bring me here foolish mortal.**

**XoverMasta: To do the disclaimer obviously! It was first Naruto, then Percy and now you'll be doing it! *smiles widely* Happy day! *pauses* You should also know… *pulls out a pen and paper and begins to squeal* I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN! Will you sign your paw print!**

**Kurama: Errr… no.**

**XoverMasta: D:**

**Kurama: … Anyway this… person doesn't own either my host or that Son of Poseidon… If she did she says I would get more screening time.**

* * *

**Holy Hephaestus' Junkyard**

* * *

The quest members rode the boar until sunset.

The snow covered mountains were replaced with miles and miles of… dry, flat land, aka the fucking desert.

When night fell the boar came to a stop at a creek bed. He began to greedily drink the muddy water, then grabbed a cactus head… eating it whole.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"I don't think so." Grover said staring at the boar, "But we do need to get off while he's eating… He says this is as far as he'll go."

Everyone nodded, slipping off the boar's back. Naruto felt like a cow boy as he waddled away with his saddle sore.

After its third saguaro and another drink of muddy water, the boar squealed and belched, then whirled around and galloped back toward the east...

"I would choose the snow too." Naruto sighed.

Thalia nodded in agreement.

What was ahead of them was plain sad. It was a two-lane road half covered in sand. On one side was a cluster of buildings, with a taco shop that looks as if it hasn't been opened in forever.

"Whoa," Percy said smartly.

"This place is a dump." Grover dead-panned.

"Something tells me we're not going to find a car rental here," Thalia said. She looked at Grover. "I don't suppose you got another wild boar up your sleeve?"

Grover shook his head, before going through his pocket. He pulled out acorns before throwing them into the sand, then played his pipes… which actually didn't sound that horrible.

The acorns then arranged themselves into a pattern.

Grover's brow crinkled.

"That's us," he said. "Those five nuts right there… but for some reason… Naruto's isn't working."

"His could be the little deformed one." Zoe smirked.

Naruto shot her a half-hearted glare, "Thanks a lot."

"That cluster right there," Grover said interrupting their banter, pointing to the left, "that's trouble."

"Monster?"

Grover looked uneasy. "I don't smell anything, which doesn't make sense. But the acorns don't lie. Our next challenge…"

He pointed straight toward the junkyard.

_**One is lost in the land without rain…**_

_Just my thought…_

After a series of debates the quest members decided to camp for the night and try the junkyard in the morning. Zoe and Bianca produced five sleeping bags and foam mattresses out of their backpacks. Luckily the sleeping bags seemed to be able to keep the heat in. The night got chilly fast.

"The stars are out," Zoe said softly.

She was right. There were millions of them, the night was so black they all showed clearly.

"Amazing," Bianca said. "I've never actually seen the Milky Way."

"This is nothing," Zoe said. "In the old days, there were more. Whole constellations have disappeared because of human light pollution..."

"You could see the stars all the time from where I come from…" Naruto said wistfully. "We of course called them different names… but at least they didn't change."

"Yes the stars will never change for thee…"

"For you," Thalia corrected. "Not thee"

"But you use you for the beginning of a sentence."

"And for the end," Thalia said. "No thou. No thee. Just you"

Zoe threw up her hands in exasperation. "I hate this language. It changes too often!"

Naruto was inwardly laughing at her indignant expression.

Grover sighed. "If only Pan were here, he would set things right."

Zoe nodded sadly.

"Maybe it was the coffee," Grover said. "I was drinking coffee, and the wind came. Maybe if I drank more coffee…"

"Grover," Naruto said turning his head to look at the satyr, "do you really think that was Pan? I mean, I know you want it to be."

"He sent us help," Grover insisted. "I don't know how or why. But it was his presence. After this quest is done, I'm going back to New Mexico and drinking a lot of coffee. It's the best lead we've gotten in two thousand years. I was so close."

"What I want to know," Thalia said, looking at Bianca, "is how you destroyed one of the zombies. There are a lot more out there somewhere. We need to figure out how to fight them."

Bianca shook her head. "I don't know. I just stabbed it and it went up in flames."

"Maybe there's something special about your knife."

"It is the same as mine," Zoe said. "Celestial bronze, yes. But mine did not affect the warriors that way."

"Maybe you have to hit the skeleton in a certain spot," Grover said.

Bianca looked uncomfortable with everybody paying attention to her.

Meanwhile Naruto narrowed his eyes.

Zombies…

Flames…

Hades…

Skele—

HADES!

Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"I don't think that was it…" Naruto said softly, gaining every ones attention. "I thought I was imagining things… but Bianca you do smell different than a normal demi-god… perhaps you're Hades child."

His statement was met with silence, and slowly Naruto began to connect the dots in his head.

"I saw you at the Casino." He said snapping his fingers.

How could he have been so stupid.

"You were that girl… You said that the subway station wasn't around when you were little." Naruto's eyes widened, "Bianca, the hotel you stayed at, was it the Lotus Hotel and Casino?""

Her eyes widened. "How could you know that?"

Percy gaped, understanding dawning in his eyes, "Oh my Gods."

"Wait," Thalia said putting her hand out. "Slow down, okay she may be the Daughter of Hades… But what is the Lotus Casino?"

The trio of the first quest shared a glance.

"A couple of years ago," Percy started, "Grover, Annabeth, Naruto, and I got trapped there. It's designed so you never want to leave. We stayed for about an hour. When we came out, five days had passed. It makes time speed up."

"No," Bianca said. "No, that's not possible."

"You said somebody came and got you out," Percy pressed.

"Yes."

"What did he look like? What did he say?"

"I… I don't remember. Please, I really don't want to talk about this."

"Bianca." The said girl turned to Naruto, "This is important, you are _definitely _a child of Hades we need to know… Wait just how old are you?"

Bianca shrugged, her eyes still wide.

"I have an idea." Zoe said, "Bianca who is the President now?"

She said the right one.

"And who was the president before that?" Zoe asked.

Bianca thought for a while. "Roosevelt."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Theodore or Franklin'?"

"Franklin," Bianca said. "F.D.R."

"Bianca," Zoe said slowly. "F.D.R. was not the last president. That was about seventy years ago."

"That's impossible," Bianca said. "I… I'm not that old."

She stared at her hands as if to make sure they weren't wrinkled. Thalia's eyes turned sad, "It's okay, Bianca, The important thing is you and Nico are safe. You made it out."

"Yes but you can't help but wonder why now." Naruto said grimly, "Hades obviously knows Zeus, and Poseidon had children, he must've decided to add you two to the mix to make it even…"

They all shared a glance.

"This can't leak out." Naruto said lowly, "We can't let anyone know."

The whole group nodded—even Zoe had to agree with the boy.

Bianca opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, they were hit with a blazing light from down the road. The headlights of a car appeared out of nowhere.

Naruto quickly grabbed his sleeping bag out of the way of the deathly white limousine, as it parked right where he was. He brought out Messengers Crescent.

The back door of the limo opened right next to him. Naruto quickly caught the point of the blade with his, right before it came for his throat.

Immediately Zoe and Bianca drew their bows

Naruto scowled as the owner of the sword slip out of the car.

"Ares." He growled.

The God smiled cruelly. "You just got lucky this time punk, next time this sword will go through your throat."

"Big talk." Naruto sneered, "Can you back it up? How's your chest, still can't breathe?"

The war god scowled, glancing at the Hunters bows. "At ease, people."

He snapped his fingers, and their weapons fell to the ground.

"Tch, scared they would've reopened the wound?"

Ares let out a low growl, "You're lucky this is a… _friendly _meeting punk." He smirked, even as Naruto continued to block his sword, "Of course I'd _like _to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

Ares looked over at her. "Well, well. I heard you were back."

He lowered his sword, "Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"Says you." She scowls, "What's your business, and who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not them." He jutted his chin toward Zoe and Bianca. "Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? I only need Naruto and Percy for a few minutes."

"We will not leave them alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said lowly, Naruto casted her an appreciative glance.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, goat boy?"

Seeing Grover opening his mouth to retort, Naruto quickly interrupted, "Go on guys." He said lowly, "We got this." He slapped Percy on the back to prove his point.

"You heard the boy," Ares snarled. "They're big and strong. He's got things under control."

Naruto shot Ares a glare, before nodding at the rest of them. They reluctantly nodded back before heading to the restaurant.

"Get inside, punk," he said turning towards Naruto. "The Lady wants to see you first… And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

Naruto nodded, slipping into the car door...

And when he saw her his jaw nearly hit the floor.

He had seen his fair share of absolutely gorgeous and respected woman, from shy Hinata, to the Ice Queen, Samui… but this woman was in a whole other league herself.

She was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was curled in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was so beautiful it made Naruto's chest ache. She had perfect makeup, dazzling eyes, and a smile that would've melted even Tobi's heart.

Pick the most beautiful woman you can think of. The goddess was ten times more beautiful than that.

Pick your favorite hair color, eye color, and the goddess had that. When she smiled at him, just for a moment she looked a little like Hinata. Then she changed into the splitting image of an older Artemis.

"Ah, there you are, Naruto," the goddess said. "I am Aphrodite."

Naruto nodded, regaining his composure.

"Pleasure to meet you my lady." He said politly.

She smiled. "Aren't you sweet. Hold this, please."

She handed him a polished mirror the size of a dinner plate… which surprisingly weighed a lot. She leaned forward and dabbed at her lipstick, weirdly it didn't really change the color of Ar—err Aphrodite's lips.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not." He answered, while unknowingly his eyes began to go lower… he quickly caught himself.

What the hell was he doing!? He was better than this.

_**You sure? **_Naruto could almost feel Kurama's perverted leer.

_Be quiet you Baka-Fox._

"Oh, dear," Aphrodite said snapping him out of his thoughts. "Still in denial?"

"Denial?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Let me ask you something, why are you on this quest?"

"To stop Luke, and The General!"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh, Them. Please. Talk about stupid, they're both hopeless cases—"

"But they're after something that could destroy Olympus?" Naruto said, shocked. "And even if I don't like it Luke's... family. We have to help him."

Aphrodite made him hold the mirror a little higher. She seemed to have found a microscopic problem at the corner of her eye and dabbed at her mascara. "Always some monster, or Evil Boss Lord. But my dear shinobi, that is why the others are on this quest. I'm more interested in _you_."

Naruto felt his thoughts wander, his heart swelled in his chest at the thought of his Hunts with the Goddess of the Moon.

The answer came without permission.

"I have to save Artemis."

Aphrodite beamed. "Exactly!"

"Something happened to her, she's in pain," he rambled. "I've been having visions of her."

"Ah, you even dream about her! That's _so_ cute!" Aphrodite squealed. "I told her being a Virgin forever was bound to get boring!"

"N-No," Naruto protested, "We're not like tha—"

She made a tsk-tsk sound. "Oh Naruto, I'm on your side."

"What!?"

"Originally Chiron wasn't going to let you on the Quest, but _I _gave him the idea about you!"

"Wait, why are you helping me!?"

"You know how boring those Hunters are looking for the monster _then_ Artemis. Blah, blah, blah. But a quest for true love of a Goddess tha—"

"Wait a second, I never said I—"

"Oh, my dear. You don't need to say it. You know Artemis is warming up to you. And you just can't help but want to—"

Naruto blushed, "I would _never _take advanta—"

"I may not be able to control your feelings Naruto, but I can feel the pure adoration bouncing off you!" she began to squeal, "It's so romantic!"

"Bu—"

"Oh, put the mirror down," Aphrodite ordered. "I look fine."

Naruto did so, eyes wide.

"Now listen, Naruto," Aphrodite said. "The Hunters are your enemies. Forget them _you _need to be the one to save Artemis."

"But they're my friends!" Naruto said firmly. "I don't abandon a comrade."

"Oh, so noble!" Aphrodite smiled, "If Artemis hadn't called dibs, I would've taken you myself."

Naruto blinked, "Wha—" he stopped, "Wait do you know where she is!?"

Aphrodite waved her hand irritably. "No, no. I leave the details to you. But it's been ages since we've had a good tragic love story."

"Whoa, I'm not in love! We're just—"

"Love conquers all," Aphrodite promised. "Look at Helen and Paris. Did they let anything come between them?"

Naruto dead-panned, "Didn't they start the Trojan War?"

"Oh that's not the point. Follow your heart."

"But… I don't get… my heart."

She smiled sympathetically, and it made Naruto's heart stop. She really was beautiful. And not just because she had a pretty face or anything. She believed in love so much, it was impossible not to think everything would work out when she spoke of it.

"Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite said. "Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you? Oh, you kids! It's so cute I'm going to cry."

"No." Naruto said panicked, he hated it when girl's cried, "Don't do that."

"And don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to let this be easy and boring for you. No, I have some wonderful surprises in store. It'll be almost as exciting as Percabeth! Anguish. Indecision. Oh, you just wait."

"Um." Naruto said his eye twitching, "You really don't have to go through all this trouble for me…"

"You're _so _sweet. I wish all my daughters could break the heart of a boy as nice, and handsome as you." Aphrodite's eyes were tearing up. "Now, you'd better go. And do be careful in my husband's territory, Naruto. Don't take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets and trash."

"Wha—"

But the car door opened and Ares grabbed his shoulder, pulling him out of the car and pushing Percy in. Naruto immediately caught his wrist.

They glared at each other.

"You're lucky, punk." Ares said lowly. "Be grateful."

"For what?" Naruto asked, raising his eyebrow mockingly, "You're still here, what's there to be grateful for?"

Ares sneered, "That we're being so nice. If it was up to me—"

"You'd turn me into a gopher and run me over, because you know I'd kick your ass if we fought each other hand to hand?"

The God sneered, "I'd love to kill you, in all honesty," he said. "But see, I got a situation. Word on Olympus is that you might help start one of the Biggest War in history I can't risk messing that up. Besides, Aphrodite thinks you're some kind a soap-opera star or something. I kill you, that makes me look bad with her—"

"You don't need my help with that." Naruto growled, Ares' balled his fist.

"You better be careful _punk._ I haven't forgotten my promise. Someday when you fight, you'll be feeling the wrath of—"

"The God of Cowards?" Naruto said tilting his head, putting on a mock face of fear, "Oh no, I'm so scared. Your chest still not healed from when I broke your little gay heart?"

He grinned crookedly. "Not bad, punk. But you got nothing on the master of taunts. I'll start the fight when I'm good and ready. Until then… Get lost."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "A little hard to escape when Percy's still in the car isn't it? Unless you want him to be making out with your girlfriend?"

Ares growled, and Naruto turned his back on him.

He quickly turned around when he saw Percy getting out of the car with a dumb-founded expression.

At this Ares quickly snapped his fingers. A bright flash illuminating the plain, when they opened their eyes the limousine was gone. The road, the taco restaurant, the whole town of Gila Claw was gone.

The other Quest members and the duo were standing in the middle of the junkyard, mountains of scrap metal stretched out in every direction.

"What did she want with you?" Bianca asked, once they told them about Aphrodite.

"Not much," Naruto shrugged, holding back a blush, "She said to be careful in this junkyard, and not pick anything up."

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful, Naruto. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once I agree with Zoe," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

Naruto nodded.

"So," Percy said, anxious to change the subject, "how do we get out of here?"

"That way," Zoe said. "That is west."

"How can you tell?"

Naruto and Zoe rolled eyes simultaneously.

"Ursa Major is in the north," she said, "which means that must be west."

She pointed west, then at the northern constellation, which was hard to make out because there were so many other stars.

"Oh." Naruto said snapping his fingers, "The Great Bear right?"

Zoe nodded, looking impressed, "You know of thee?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah Ar—Annabeth showed me some constellations."

"Whoa—" Grover said interrupting them, "Guys look!"

They'd reached the crest of a junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, smashed chariots, tons of shields and swords and other weapons, along with more modern stuff, like cars that gleamed gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

"Whoa," Bianca said. "That stuff… some of it looks like real gold."

"It is," Thalia said grimly. "Like Whiskers said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."

"Junk?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown made of gold, silver, and jewels. It was broken on one side, as if it had been split by an axe. "You call this junk?"

He bit off a point and began to chew. "It's delicious!"

"Dude it could be cursed." Naruto growled, knocking it out of his hands, "Listen to Thalia."

"Look!" Bianca said. She raced down the hill, tripping over bronze coils and golden plates. She picked up a bow that glowed silver in moonlight. "A Hunter's bow!"

She yelped in surprise as the bow began to shrink, and became a hair clip shaped like a crescent moon. "It's just like Percy's sword!"

Zoe's face was grim. "Leave it, Bianca."

"But—"

"It is here for a reason. Anything thrown away in this junkyard must stay in this yard. It is defective." Bianca reluctantly set the hair clip down.

"I don't like this place," Thalia said. She gripped the shaft of her spear.

Naruto nodded in agreement.

They started picking their way through the hills and valleys of junk. The stuff seemed to go on forever, and if it hadn't been for Ursa Major, they would've gotten lost. All the hills pretty much looked similar, with a couple differences here or there.

Naruto made sure not to touch anything, but you couldn't say the same for the rest of the Quest Members.

Percy found an electric guitar shaped like Apollo's lyre that was so sweet he just had to pick it up.

Grover found a broken tree made out of metal, and began to tinker with it…

Naruto had to basically drag them away from the stuff.

Finally, they saw the edge of the junkyard about half a mile ahead, the lights of a highway stretching through the desert. But between them and the road…

"What is that?" Bianca gasped.

Ahead of them was a hill much bigger and longer than the others. It was like a metal mesa, the length of a football field and as tall as goalposts. At one end of the mesa was a row of ten thick metal columns, wedged tightly together.

Bianca frowned. "They look like—"

"Toes," Grover said.

Bianca nodded. "Really, really large toes."

Naruto and Zoe exchanged a nervous look.

"Let's go around," Thalia said. "Far around."

"But the road is right over there," Percy protested. "Quicker to climb over."

"But safer to go around." Naruto said grimly, "I agree wi—"

Ping.

Thalia hefted her spear and Zoe drew her bow, but then realized it was only Grover.

He had thrown a piece of scrap metal at the toes and hit one, making a deep echo, as if the column were hollow.

"Why did you do that?" Zoe demanded.

Grover cringed. "I don't know. I, uh, don't like fake feet?"

"Come on." Thalia growled, glaring at both Percy and Grover. "Around."

After minutes of walking, they finally stepped onto the highway, an abandoned but well-lit stretch of black asphalt.

"We made it out," Naruto sighed. "Thank the gods."

But apparently the gods didn't want to be thanked.

At that moment, Naruto winced, as the sound of metal on metal exploded through his ears.

Quickly turning around, Naruto pulled out his scythe, his eyes widened at the sight. The scrap mountain was boiling, rising up. The ten toes tilted over, and then this thing rose up from the metal was a bronze giant in full Greek battle armor.

He was impossibly tall—a skyscraper with legs and arms. He gleamed wickedly in the moonlight. He looked down at them, and his face was deformed. The left side was partially melted off. His joints creaked with rust, and across his armored chest, written in thick dust by some giant finger, were the words WASH ME.

"Talos!" Zoe gasped.

"Talos!?"

"One of Hephaestus's creations," Thalia said. "But that can't be the original. It's too small. A prototype, maybe. A defective model."

The robot moaned, as it moved one hand to his sword belt and drew his weapon. The blade was a hundred feet long. It looked rusty and dull, but in this case size did matter.

"Someone took something," Zoe said. "Who took something?"

She stared accusingly at Percy.

The Son of Poseidon shook his head. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."

Bianca didn't say anything.

"Run!" Grover yelped.

Naruto scowled, pulling Messengers Crescent in the correct position. Running wouldn't solve anything. The fucking damn robot was too big.

Quickly they split up. Thalia drew her shield and held it up as she ran down the highway. The giant swung his sword and took out a row of power lines, which exploded in sparks and scattered across Thalia's path. Zoe's arrows whistled toward the creature's face but shattered harmlessly against the metal. Grover brayed like a baby goat and went climbing up a mountain of metal.

Bianca and Percy ended up next to each other, hiding behind a broken chariot.

Naruto leaped into the air, bringing down his chakra enhanced blade at the robot. It was big, but slow, losing half its arm from the single slash.

Unfortunately it wasn't the sword arm.

Flipping in mid-air Naruto barely managed to evade the oncoming sword. He landed gracefully, already back in fighting position.

_Damn. _He internally cursed. _This is the fucking land without rain, Gods damn it._

"Hey, Talos!" Grover yelled, but the monster raised his sword, his back towards Naruto, as it faced both Percy and Bianca.

Grover played a quick melody on his pipes. Over at the highway, the downed power lines began to dance. One of the poles with power lines still attached flew toward Talos's back leg and wrapped around his calf The lines sparked and sent a jolt of electricity up the giant's backside.

Talos whirled around, creaking and sparking. Grover had bought a few seconds.

"Come on!" Percy told Bianca. But she stayed frozen. From her pocket, she brought out a small metal figurine, a statue of a god. "It… it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have."

There were tears in her eyes.

"Throw it down," Percy said. "Maybe the giant will leave us alone."

She dropped it reluctantly, but nothing happened. The giant kept coming after Grover. It stabbed its sword into a junk hill, missing Grover by a few feet, but scrap metal made an avalanche over him…

"No!" Naruto screamed. "KURA**MA!"**

_I NEED YOUR CHAKRA!_

His eyes began to turn red, and canines grew longer, giving him a more animalistic appearance.

Pulling back the now glowing Messengers Crescent he charged at the robot. But even with Kurama's chakra the robot was hard to beat… even with one arm.

Naruto charged, and charged, and charged in fury. If Grover died… if he fucking died.

He blinked when he saw Bianca, charge under the monsters left foot, a sickening feeling entering his stomach.

What was she doing?

He was about to ask, but Zoe beat him to the punch, "What are you doing?"

"Get it to raise its foot!" she said.

Zoe shot an arrow toward the monster's face and it flew straight into one nostril. The giant straightened and shook its head.

Naruto nodded, his crimson eyes catching every move the monster made.

He charged at the left foot, slicing through one of it's toes… and unfortunately his plan looked. The monster looked down, and then lifted his foot as if to squash him…

He quickly retreated, bolting back in a burst of red.

He heard Grover begin to play a quick tune, somehow he had gotten out from the pile of junk. He frantically played his pipes, sending another pipe slamming into the monster… and then he fell back the strain of the music taking it's toll.

"GROVER!"

The monster raised his sword to smash the satyr. Then he froze.

Talons cocked his head to one side, he started moving his arms and legs in weird ways, then he made a fist and punched himself in the face.

"Go, Bianca!" Percy screamed.

Zoe looked horrified. "She is inside?"

The monster staggered around, and Naruto quickly realized they were still in danger. Almost immediately he was at Thalia, and Grover's side pulling them both over his shoulder bringing them a safe distance away.

He was just able to catch Zoe yell, "How will Bianca get out?"

The giant hit itself in the head again and dropped his sword. A shudder ran through his whole body and he staggered toward the power lines…

And at that moment all Naruto could think about was Nico.

Nico whose sister was trapped in that robot.

Nico who would be absolutely _devastated _if she died.

Nico who he sworn to protect…

And Bianca a comrade who he could not lose.

With all those thoughts dwelling in his head he shot forward, the Kyuubi's chakra adding to his already God-like speed.

He quickly caught her scent, and flew through the robot, while clutching the Daughter of Hades to his chest, he let out a howl of pain.

The monster was malfunctioning, electrical currents, were going throughout the robot, gadgets were burning/exploded…

Even so Naruto held strong bursting out of the other side of the robot.

He groaned as he rolled on the ground, Bianca still held firmly against him. Kurama's chakra was doing its job in immediately healing his injuries.

Unfortunately the robot was still coming towards them, and Naruto still in a daze did the only thing he could.

He quickly spun, their positions so the Daughter of Hades was under him, bracing himself for impact.

And did the impact come.

The monster gave a screech as it's left arm came loose, falling on top of Naruto. A loud bang, and sickening crack was then heard…

"N-Naruto?" Bianca said weakly.

"Y-Yeah." He said through gritted teeth, he could feel his left leg break.

"I'm sorry."

"No." he mumbled, "You thought of family, and I'd gladly take another hit like that, for that kind of cause."

Bianca gave him a weak smile.

When they were found, Zoe had been crying, before she gave Naruto a bone-crushing (no pun intended) hug.

"Thank you." She had murmured before releasing him.

Naruto's only reply was to nod dumbly.

"The prophecy." Grover said, looking at the blonde in awe, "One shall he lost in the land without rain… You..."

"Yeah," Naruto said sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "It's nothing… Although..." he stumbled slightly, "I could use a little nap right now."

* * *

**DONE!**

**Betaed by **_**HybridTailedFox, and ILikeSharpObjects!**_

**SO BIANCA DIDN'T DIE!**

**And yes I haven't really thought about how that might change things, but it would be nice for Nico!**

**So you like!?**

**If not then stop reading. -.-**

**-XM**

**P.S. To all of you who noticed last chapter, yes, naru-chan knows about the Roman camp.**


	11. Damn… Err I mean Dam

**XoverMasta: Hey I'm BACK!**

**Naruto: And I am too!**

**Percy: Unfortunately.**

**Artemis: You boys are so foolish**

**Aphrodite: Ahhhhh You know you love him—Naruto I mean.**

**XoverMasta: Okay! *breaks apart Aphrodite and Artemis* I knew I shouldn't have aired you all at the same time! **

**HybridTailedFox: No I told you not to do it, and you did it anyway.**

**ILikeSharpobjects: He did I was a witness.**

**XoverMasta: Be quiet you two I'm the writer! *pouts* I do whatever I want!**

**Aphrodite: Including getting Artemis with cute little Naru-chan!?**

**XoverMasta: Why yes!**

**Artemis: *glaring at both of them***

**Naruto: Well I'm all up for… *gulp* N-never mind. Me and Artemis are just friends.**

**Percy: Close friends.**

**HybridTailedFox: *smirks evilly* Very, very close friends.**

**ILikeSharpObjects: *wolf whistles* **

**XoverMasta: OKAY BEFORE THEY ALL GET KILLED KURAMA MY DEAR OTHER FOX DO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**Kurama: *Appears from Naruto's stomach* I the great Kyuubi say that this damn mortal like the rest of the people (I think O.o) on this damn site does not own my host or that Son of Poseidon. If she did she said I'd get more screening time… and I would be paired with Nibi… Wait... what the f—**

**XoverMasta: Onto the story!**

* * *

**Damn… Err I mean Dam**

* * *

At the edge of the dump, they found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so they decided to 'borrow' it.

Naruto drove, as everyone else was fussing over the very injured Bianca. He was able to navigate them through the desert, sitting alone in the car, while everyone else was in the back. Unknowingly Naruto closed his hand around the figurine Percy had given him.

He was supposed to return it to Bianca when she woke up.

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended.

Naruto got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Fuck. Great, what now?"

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

Naruto sweat-dropped, the 'path' was a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face.

"That's a goat path," the blonde said dryly.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats… well maybe Percy."

"Hey!"

"We can make it," Grover said. "I think..."

Naruto glanced at Thalia who turned almost as pale as she in the mountains, he couldn't force that on her…

"No," Naruto said, "Let's look for something safer. You think Bianca, or someone as big as me can go through there?"

Grover blushed, "I didn't think of that."

"Come on," Naruto smiled. "A walk won't hurt us."

Thalia sent Naruto a grateful look.

They the river about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water.

On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Percy left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying IOU three canoes. Of course when he did that Naruto pouted.

His father was the God of Thieves after all.

"We need to go upstream," Zoe said. "The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," Percy smirked.

Thalia pulled Naruto aside when they were getting the oars. "Thanks for back there."

"No problem." Naruto laughed, clapping his hand on her shoulder, "I'd do it anytime, just ask."

Thalia smiled at the blonde, before her expression became grim, "Do you think Percy can really…"

"I think so… if not then we're screwed." Naruto said grimly before brightening, "Wanna ride in the canoe with me?"

Thalia smiled, "Sure."

In unison the two demi-gods push their canoe in the water. Luckily for Percy it turned out he didn't need to control the current.

Over the edge of the boats naiads were staring up at him.

They looked like regular teenage girls, the kind you'd see in any mall, except for the fact that they were underwater.

"Hey," Percy waved.

They made a bubbling sound that may have been giggling, Naruto snorted.

"We're heading upstream," Percy said. "Do you think you could—"

"Whoa!" Naruto yelped as his canoe took off. Thalia basically slammed into his chest, knocking all the air out of him.

"Sorry!"

"It's cool."

"I hate naiads," Zoe grumbled, she was directly to the right of Naruto.

A stream of water squirted up from the back of the boat and hit Zoe in the face.

"She-devils!" Zoe went for her bow.

"Whoa." The blonde said making a 'stopping' gesture, "Don't shoot them!"

"Cursed water spirits. They've never forgiven me."

"Forgiven you for what?"

She slung her bow back over her shoulder. "It was a long time ago. Never mind."

Naruto opened, his mouth, but decided not to press, Bianca was looking at the two of them wide-eyed.

They sped up the river, the cliffs were on either sides of them.

"Do naiads get tired?" Naruto asked suddenly, earning shrugs in return.

Bianca shot him a glance, "You ask the weirdest things, at the worst times."

"Thanks." The blonde smiled, his face then turned serious, "But in seriousness… do you guys believe we can face whatever captured Artemis?"

There was silence before Zoe answered, "I don't know… if it is thee whom I think it is… the chances are slim."

They all shared dark looks.

"I should've gone with her." Zoe sighed, looking down, "If I had insisted—"

"You did what any other lieutenant would do." Naruto said gently, "You followed orders, if Artemis was looking for a powerful monster, she knew what she was getting herself into. Nothing could've stopped her from going or being captured…"

_Except me…_

Zoe didn't answer. The cliffs along the river were getting taller. Long shadows fell across the water, making it a lot colder, even though the day was bright. Without thinking about it, Percy took Riptide out of his pocket. Zoe looked at the pen, and her expression was pained.

"You made this," he asked.

Everyone turned to Zoe shocked looks on their faces.

"Who told thee?"

"I had a dream about it."

She studied him, and then sighed. "It was a gift. And a mistake."

"Who was the hero?" Naruto inquired.

Zoe shook her head. "Do not make me say his name. I swore never to speak it again."

"You act like we should know him." Percy said.

"I am sure you do, hero. Don't all you boys want to be just like him?"

"You mean Hermes?" Naruto asked, confusedly, "But that makes no sense."

Zoe rolled her eyes at him, her face still bitter.

"Your mother was a water goddess?"Percy inquired.

"Yes, Pleione. She had five daughters. My sisters and I. The Hesperidin's."

"The girls who lived in a garden at the edge of the West. With the golden apples of immortality and a dragon guarding it." Naruto said.

"Yes," Zoe said wistfully. "Ladon."

"But… weren't there only four sisters'?"

"There are now. I was exiled. Forgotten. Blotted out as if I never existed."

At this Naruto's expression darkened, "If I may ask… Why?"

Zoe pointed to Percy's pen, "Because I betrayed my family and helped a hero. You won't find that in the legend either. He never spoke of me. After his direct assault on Ladon failed, I gave him the idea of how to steal the apples, how to trick my father, but he took all the credit."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, as he racked his brain for answers. Apples... trials... Hercules... Holy shit Hercules_._

He glanced at Percy's coat, then back at Zoe.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, she didn't reply.

The canoes finally slowed down.

Why?

Well because a dam the size of a football stadium stood in their path.

"Hoover Dam," Naruto whispered, "It's humongo!"

The naiads had left with a lot of grumbling. Their canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake from the dam's discharge vents.

"Seven hundred feet tall," Percy said. "Built in the 1930s."

"A hundred and seventy one feet taller than the Monument in Washington D.C." Naruto murmured.

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Graver sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Bianca stared at them. "How do you know all that?"

"Annabeth," they unison.

"She liked architecture." Percy said wistfully.

"Understatement." Naruto chuckled. "But she was nuts about any type of building."

"She knew everything about monuments," Thalia added.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

"I wish she were here..."

The others nodded. Zoe and Bianca were still looking at them strangely.

"We should go up there," Percy said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"You four are mad," Zoe decided, Bianca nodding in agreement. "But that's where the road is." She pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is."

They walked for an hour before they found the correct path. At the top it was cold, and windy… Naruto couldn't help but wonder why Annabeth wanted to go to this dam (see what he did there) place.

Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edge of the dam. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything, but it was obvious he smelled monster.

"How close are they?" Naruto said softly.

He shook his head. "Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us… the scent can probably carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."

"There's a snack bar in the visitor center," Thalia said.

"You've been here before?" Percy asked.

"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. "They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena."

Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet.

"What are they doing?" Naruto asked, his eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."

"They crazy." Naruto chuckled.

"Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said interrupting the two demi-gods. "We should eat while we can."

Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"

Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?"

"Nothing." Bianca smiled, stifling a laugh, "I could use some dam chips."

Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom."

Naruto and Percy looked at each other before cracking up, everyone else joined in.

Zoe looked at them confusedly, "I do not understand."

"I want to use the dam water fountain," Naruto laughed.

"And…" Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt."

At Zoe's questioning look they all laughed again.

Percy stopped when he heard a noise.

"Moooooo."

The smile melted off his face. Grover stopped laughing too. He was looking around, confused. "Did I just hear a cow?"

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," Grover said. "I'm serious."

Zoe listened. "I hear nothing."

Naruto looked at Percy. "Perce, you okay?"

"Yeah," he said. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Nothing," Percy said. "I… I just need a minute. To think."

They hesitated, but with a shrug Naruto led the group to the visitor center.

"I say Thalia orders the food!"

"Oi!"

But unfortunately in the end Naruto had to order the food… because he looked the oldest. Slipping into the booth the other quest members had reserved for them, he sat to Zoe's left.

"Mkay so here are burritos… for everyone." Naruto smiled, handing everyone the tortilla wrapped goodness.

"Um… Naruto?"

"Hm?" the blonde asked through a mouthful of beans.

"What are these numbers on the bottom of the receipt?"

"Oh… I think that lady gave me her phone number." He shrugged, "She probably mistook me for someone else or something." He continued to eat his food, oblivious to the dead-pan coming from the other quest members.

Of course right when he was about to finish, Percy had to slam into him.

"We need to leave," he gasped. "Now!"

"Oh hey Perce I saved you o—"

"No time!"

Zoe stood muttering a curse, "He's right! Look."

The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave them a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill them.

"Elevator!" Grover said. They bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. Theye were completely surrounded.

Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea.

"Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.

"No!" Naruto shouted, anime tears falling, "My beautiful burrito!"

Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. The other kids in the café went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming. The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere. In the chaos, Thalia and Naruto had tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then they all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past their heads.

"What now?" Bianca gasped.

"Six against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die."

"Well Ms. Sunshine we have Bianca right?" but the said Hunter looked troubled.

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.

Then a crazy idea lit up in Naruto's head.

"Thalia," Naruto said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at him. "He never answers."

"Just this once, he will." Naruto said, looking Thalia straight in the eye he said his most treasured word. "I promise."

Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Fifty feet away. Forty feet.

Thalia looked at the blonde for a long time, before nodding.

She closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer.

And nothing happened. The skeletons closed in. Naruto raised Messengers Crescent, while Percy got out Riptide. Thalia held up her shield. Zoe pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head. Bianca pulled out her dagger.

Then a shadow fell over them.

The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside.

The other skeletons opened fire. Naruto quickly pushed himself in front of Thalia to protect her… but she didn't need it. The bronze angels stepped in front of them and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"

"Trouble!" Naruto yelled, as the skeletons began to stir..

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.

Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!"

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided.

"THANK YOU!" Naruto yelled, earning a smile.

And the next thing he knew, one of them grabbed him, Thalia, and Percy, while the other grabbed Zoe, Bianca, and Grover, and then flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below.

"Holy Hermes," Naruto sighed, "That was close…" he then looked down at the bronze men, "Thanks for the lift Dam statues."

* * *

**DONE!**

**Betaed by **_**ILikeSharpObjects **_**and **_**HybridTailedFox**_

**So DONE!**

**Yeah!**

**And now I'm onto the next chapter... yeah again.**

**Please review!**

**-XM**


	12. For you

**XoverMasta: Little me back from… school.**

**Naruto: And little me back from another day of kicking ass.**

**XoverMasta: … No need to rub it in.**

**Naruto: *sticks tongue out***

**XoverMasta: Any who because this is utterly pointless I decided to start a segment called. *drum roll* That character!**

**Naruto: That's so lame.**

**XoverMasta: Whatever! Anyway the rules are… we just… sort of talk about a character….**

**Naruto: -.- Sooooo… anyway today's character is… ARTEMIS!**

**XoverMasta: Of course you'd choose her.**

**Naruto: Yep *smiles* Well I think Artemis is utterly gorgeous, but in an athletic way… I mean did you see that figure!? And those perfect legs… I ever mention I'm a leg man?**

**XoverMasta: Ever mention I'm a girl, and I don't like hearing bout that stuff?**

**Naruto: You're a girl!?**

**XoverMasta: ... Say that again. I. Dare. You.**

**Naruto: *gulps***

**XoverMasta: Good boy, now Kurama DISCLAIMER!**

**Kurama: *sigh* Fine. I the great Kyuubi say that this damn mortal like the rest of the people (I think O.o) on this damn site does not own my host or that Son of Poseidon. If she did she said I'd get more screening time… and I would be paired with Nibi… I would also be able to communicate with Naruto better… and I'd be put in talking sword form.**

* * *

**For you**

* * *

"Tell me when it's over," Thalia said. Her eyes were shut tight.

The statue was holding on to them so they couldn't fall, but still Thalia clutched both his arm and Naruto's like they were the most important thing in the world.

"Everything's alright Thalia."Naruto soothed.

"Are… are we very high?"

Naruto looked down, with a dead-pan. Below the mountains zipped by, if he wanted too Naruto could grab the snow off the peaks.

"Ummm… No." Naruto said weakly.

"We are in the Sierras.'" Zoe yelled. She and Grover were hanging from the arms of the other statue… while Bianca was clutching it's neck for dear life. "I have hunted here before. At this speed, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."

"Hey, hey, Frisco!" Naruto's angel said. "Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!"

"Oh, man," the other angel said. "I am so there!"

"You guys been to San Fran… disco?"

The statue laughed, "Francisco… And of course! We automatons gotta have some fun once in a while, right?" their statue smirked. "Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And—"

"Hank!" the other statue Chuck cut in. "They're kids, man."

"Oh, right… Back to flying."

Naruto blinked, before a bright red blush flashed across his cheeks. Percy looked at the angels in confusion, while Thalia had pure disgust shining in her blue eyes..

_Nice thoughts think of NICE THOUGHTS. _Naruto thought repeatedly. _Think of Guy and Lee without a shirts, Guy and Lee without shirts!_

Immediately all bad thoughts went away.

The mountains fell away into hills, and then they were zipping along over farmland and towns and highways. Grover played his pipes to pass the time. Zoe, and Bianca got bored, so they started shooting arrows at random billboards as they flew by.

Thalia kept her eyes closed the whole way. She muttered to herself a lot, Naruto squeezed her shoulder.

"You did good back there," he told her quietly. "Zeus listened."

"Maybe," she said. "Thanks for the support."

"No problem, it's what I do."

Xx

"Where you guys want to land?" Hank asked.

Naruto looked down, awakened from his nap, "Errrr."

"There," Zoe suggested. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," Chuck said. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons."

Naruto blinked. "Really?"

He rolled his eyes, "No I was kidding," he said. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?"

When they landed, no one was really there… except for a poor homeless guy.

"Sup." Naruto smiled, earning a shriek of fear from the man as he ran away from a 'Whiskered Martian from Mars'…

Naruto was only a little offended.

After they said good-bye to the angels, Naruto finally realized… they didn't make a plan on what to do next.

They'd made it to the West coast. Annabeth was here somewhere… and so was Artemis…

After a brief discussion, with the rest of the quest members they'd agreed that they needed to figure out just what this mystery monster was.

"But how?"

"Nereus," Grover said.

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"Isn't that what Apollo told you to do? Find Nereus?"

"Oh… right." Naruto said with a sheepish smile.

Zoe made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"Smell?"

"Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

At seeing Zoe go through the clothes of the Goodwill drop box, Naruto had instantly voted Percy in finding the old man saying he was too, and quote, "Muscular, tall, and extremely handsome," so he claimed the old man would instantly become suspicious of him…

And Zoe agreed, to absolutely _everything_ he said, including that he had amazing hair!

… Okay not really.

Five minutes later, Zoe had outfitted Percy in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

Naruto had to stifle a chuckle while, Zoe nodded with satisfaction. "A typical male vagrant."

"Thanks a lot," Percy grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee. To blend in."

She led the way back down to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, Zoe finally stopped in her tracks. She pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

"He will be down there somewhere," Zoe said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?"

"Sneak up," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell… different."

"Great." Percy said sarcastically. "And once I find him?"

"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked something off the back of his shirt—a big clump of fuzz that came from who-knows-where. "Eww. On second thought… I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

To prove her point Grover and Bianca gave him half-hearted thumbs up…

Percy glared at them all mumbling how nice it was for him to have 'super-powerful friends.'

Then he headed toward the dock. He pulled his hat down and stumbled like he was about to pass out.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "He's a pretty good actor."

Zoe nodded, looking pleased.

The Son of Poseidon passed a couple more of the homeless, his eyes downcast, as he desperately tried to pull up his sagging pants. He could almost hear Naruto's laughter.

Finally after passing what seemed to be a thoudsand people, Percy reached the end of the pier, a guy who looked about a million years old was passed out in a patch of sunlight. He wore pajamas and a fuzzy bathrobe that probably used to be white. He was fat, with a white beard that had turned yellow.

And his smell?

Percy resisted the urge to plug his nose. It was bad alright. This guy smelled like the disgusting part of the ocean; hot fish, and seaweed came off him in waves.

Percy uncomfortably sat next to him, trying not to gag.

He could almost feel his friends stares, as they looked at him expectedly.

Taking a deep breath, he tensed. This was going to look… strange and wrong… really wrong. Then with a leap he jumped on the old man.

"Ahhhhhl" he screamed. "Help me!"

"That's a crime!" one of the other homeless guys yelled. "Kid rolling an old man like that!"

Oh Percy rolled all right—straight down the pier until his head slammed into a post.

Quickly regaining his senses, Percy tackled Nereus. Even though he was disorientated his ADHD brain was in haywire/panic mode allowing his quick reactions.

"I don't have any money!"

"I don't want money," Percy growled, tightening his grip. "I'm a half-blood! I want information.'"

That just made him struggle harder.

"Heroes! Why do you always pick on me?"

"Because you know everything!"

He growled and tried to shake him off his back. He thrashed around, making it impossible for Pecy to keep on his feet.

Oh he was going to kill Naruto for this.

Percy gritted his teeth and only squeezed tighter, when they reached the pier Percy got an idea.

"Oh, no!" he said. "Not the water!"

The plan worked. Immediately, Nereus yelled in triumph and jumped off the edge. Together, they plunged into San Francisco Bay. He must've been surprised when Percy tightened his grip, the ocean filling him with extra strength.

Naruto and the rest of the gang watched tensely, as they quickly jogged up the pier.

"Where is he?" Bianca asked worriedly.

And of course that's when Percy sprang out of the water, holding the dorsal fin of a killer whale. He waved at the five of them before once again submerging in water.

Finally after what seemed like hours, the old man collapsed on the edge of the boat dock. Nereus was heaving and gasping.

Naruto quickly made a bee-line to the Son of Poseidon.

"You got him!" Naruto smirked.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," Percy said dryly.

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

At those words Percy's gaze instantly flew to Naruto's.

"What do I do?" he mouthed.

Naruto shrugged, it wasn't his decision, he didn't capture the old seaweed.

Percy sighed. "All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.

"Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."

Nereus pointed to the water at his feet.

"Where?" Percy said.

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a back flip into the sea.

Naruto reached out to grab him, but it was already too late.

"Damn." He growled.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that?" she pointed to the water…

"MOOOOOOOO!"

Percy looked down, and there was his friend the cow serpent, swimming next to the dock. She nudged his shoe and gave him the sad brown eyes.

"Ah, Bessie," Percy said. "Not now."

"Mooo!"

Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

"You can understand he—him?"

Grover nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

"The Ophi-what?" Naruto dead-panned.

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said. "But what's it doing here?"

"Moooooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

"… And he said that with a single moo?"

"Well—"

"Wait," Zoe said interrupting Grover, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?"

Percy nodded and quickly told them the story.

Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"Well… yeah."

"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?" Naruto asked.

"From the War of the Titans," she said. "My… my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Seriously?" Bianca said looking down at the cow-serpent. "He doesn't look like he could destroy the world."

"That is how we were wrong," Zoe said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.

"How could anyone hurt him?" Percy said. "He's harmless."

Zoe nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. A Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"MMMMMM!"

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods… how? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoe said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her. Thalia placed her hand on his head. Bessie shivered. Thalia's expression became all too familiar to Naruto… she looked hungry.

She had the same look on her face Naruto did when he was reaching for Kurama's seal.

"We have to protect him," Percy said. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's… that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power you shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged.

Immediately Naruto stood, Messengers Crescent at ready. Standing behind them was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.

"This is just pairrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

On either side of him stood two armed security guys. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case they tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around—walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above them—but that wouldn't stop the manticore from acting.

"Where… where are the skeletons?"

He sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

"We beat you once before," Percy stalled, while Bianca was nervously flexing her bow.

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas… that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Naruto's nostrils flared, his knuckles were turning white from the tightness of his fist. Zoe notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of them raised their guns.

" Zoe, don't!" Naruto gritted out.

The manticore smiled. "The boy is right, Zoe Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

No one spoke. It made terrible sense.

Thalia was only two days away from turning sixteen. She was a child of the Big Three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said.

Naruto waited for Thalia to tell the manticore off, but she hesitated. She looked completely stunned.

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia." Naruto said warningly. "Remember your father helped you—us."

"I… I don't—"

"Remember he tried his best Thalia, he turned you into a tree to preserve you."

Her hand tightened on the shaft of her spear. Percy quickly sent Grover a look, he nodded, raising his pipes to his mouth and played a quick riff.

Quickly understanding the situation the manticore yelled, "Stop him!"

The guards had been targeting Zoe, and before they could figure out that the kid with the pipes was the bigger problem, the wooden planks at their feet sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoe let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. Fart arrows!

The guards started coughing. The manticore shot spines in their direction, but they ricocheted off Percy's lion's coat.

"Grover," he said, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

"Moooooo." Grover translated

"The cow…" Thalia muttered, still in a daze.

"Snap out of it." Bianca said, grabbing her arm, and that did it.

Quickly shaking herself Thalia ran up the pier, Bianca in tow.

"Get them!"

Tourists screamed as the guards shot blindly into the air. Naruto hauled both Percy and Grover on his back, dashing across the pier, but making sure he could keep his comrades in eye distance. When he finally was able to set them both down, Zoe appeared next them her eyes blazing.

"Go over the side!" Zoe said looking at Percy. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."

She was right, but he couldn't do it.

"I won't leave you guys," he said. "We fight together."

"We're going to die." Grover was muttering, his eyes glazed with panic.

Thalia gripped her spear. She looked like her old angry self again. "Then we'll die fighting."

Then they heard manticore screamed, "There!" And thus they were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above them. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

"Excellent," he said. "Alone, without any help. Wonderful."

Zoe and Bianca readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield, Naruto watched as tears ran down her cheeks.

Sadness entered him. This had happened to her before. At Half-Blood Hill she had been surrounded, and willingly had given her life up for her friends… but this time she couldn't save them.

How could Naruto let that happen to her?

_Screw the damn buildings_. Naruto thought, a devious smirk forming on his face.

"What are you laughing at boy!?" Thorn screamed, "Don't you s—"

He never finished.

With a low sweeping motion Naruto skidded below the manticore, his scythe catching against his legs, proceeding in cutting them clean off. Using his spinning momentum Naruto kicked his foot up, catching the manticore's chin, his scythe meanwhile flying in the air.

_This is for you Teme, and Bushy Brows._

"Kage Buyō (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf)." He whispered, as he appeared behind the monster.

"How—"

Then he slammed the manticore downwards with a spin kick. Then dashing around his apponent in mid-air Naruto once again kicked the manticore on the side, then stomach, side… "Shishi Rendan (Lion Combo)" Naruto shouted throwing Dr. Thorn to the ground with a quick flip of his foot to the stomach.

"Gah—" was the last thing Dr. Thorn said before Messengers Crescent's blade slammed into him from the air.

The guards watched their mouths open in shock.

Naruto grabbed his scythe from the manticore's now disintegrated body, and turned to glare at the men.

"Get lost… _now._"

Turning his back towards them he met the looks of five gaping quest members.

"What?"

Grover was the first to snap out of his stupor, "N-Naruto that was incredible!"

"Thanks?"

"It was amazing." Bianca agreed, her brow then crinkled, "But err… Where exactly do we go now?"

"I think I know." The five turned to a very pale Zoe as she pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer. "We must go to the garden of my sisters… I must go home…"

Xx

"We will never make it," Thalia said, her eyes narrowing at the distance between her and the mountain. "We are moving too slow, and we can't leave the Ophiotaurus."

"Mooo," Bessie said. He swam next to Percy as they jogged along the waterfront. They'd left the shopping centre pier far behind. They were heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was a lot farther than they'd realized. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," Percy said. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoe said. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

"We need a car," Bianca said.

"But what about Bessie?"

Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah," Percy said. "I mean, he was in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water at Hoover Dam. And now he's here."

"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," Grover said. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"But he was following me" Percy said. "If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"

"Moo," Bessie said forlornly.

"I… I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him."

Percy stared at him, he knew Grover was _no _fan of water. He almost drowned in the Sea of Monsters last year.

"I'm the only one who can talk to him," Grover said. "It makes sense."

"You might need protection." Zoe said, looking at Bianca, "Go with thee Bianca."

"Bu—"

"If thy are Child of Hades thee may be needed later." She spoke grimly, "Go."

The Daughter of Hades nodded depressingly.

Meanwhile Grover had bent down and said something in Bessie's ear. Bessie shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

"Right." Percy said nodding unsurely as he faced the ocean, "Dad," he said. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus, Bianca, and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

"Percy," Grover said. "Are you sure? That lion skin… that's really helpful. Remember Hercules used it!"

As soon as he said that, Percy glanced at Zoe, who was watching him carefully. He then looked at Naruto who was nodding at him sadly confirming his suspicions.

Zoe's hero had been the one who'd ruined her life, gotten her kicked out of her family, and never even mentioned how she'd helped him: Hercules, a hero he'd admired all his life.

"If I'm going to survive," he said, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

He threw the coat into the bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water. The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink, Bianca following suite.

Bessie glided next to them and let them both take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," Naruto smiled.

"We will," Grover said. "Okay, um… Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."

"Moooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And… it's long."

Bianca dead-panned, "We are going to get lost."

"No we won—Oh, let's just start."

"Mooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge and Grover said, "I can't breathe underwater! Just thought I'd mention—"

Glub!

Under they went, and Naruto couldn't help but wonder if breathing was part of Poseidon's protection.

"Well, that is one problem addressed," Zoe said. "But how can we get to my sisters' garden?"

"Bianca was right," Naruto sighed. "We do need a car. But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we steal one…" a sinister smile appears on his face.

Zoe sent the blonde a disapproving look.

"Wait," Thalia said. She started rifling through her backpack. "There is somebody in San Francisco who can help us. I've got the address here somewhere."

"Who?" Naruto asked.

Thalia pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up. "Professor Chase. Annabeth's dad."

* * *

**DONE!**

**REVIEW!**

**And yes to all those wondering Percy did meet Ms. Dare, she just wasn't mentioned because it wasn't important for Naruto... it is for Percabeth later on though... and please guys no MOA spoilers! I haven't even started to read it! For some reason I find it difficult for me to read on kindles, or ebooks. I need like a carbon copy of a damn book in front fo me to read!**

**-XM**

**P.S. SHAMELESS ADVERTISING: So a guy named _Vail Ryuketsu_ makes challenges... and in truth I would've actually accepted many of his challenges if it wasn't for the fact that I got my hands full with ten stories (Damn me and me Masta mind! lol), and I really want to see some of those get done; so if you guys are interested in challenges, check him out!**

**And then maybe tell me if you're going to do it, because I really do like some of his challenges so yeah...**

**:D Cookies anyone?**


	13. Meeting alot of Dads

**XoverMasta: Sup my people! *takes out a pipe then lights it* How's life? Good… I'm glad… well today—**

**Naruto: Aren't you too young to be smoking?**

**XoverMasta: Yes, but this is fantasy I can do whatever I want.**

**Annabeth: She's right… Besides aren't we really just figments of her imagination… **

**Naruto: Wait does that mean she's really just talking to herself?**

**Annabeth: Yep.**

**XoverMasta: … Just do the damn disclaimer please.**

**Annabeth: Kay. Ahem. XoverMasta doesn't own Naruto or my future boyfri—wait a second... *reads over the script* WHAT THE FUDGING HADES! How many times do I have to tell you guys WE. ARE. JUST. FRIENDS!**

**Naruto: *rolls eyes*Just hurry up and finish so I can go on my lunch break.**

**Annabeth: *pouts* Fine… XoverMasta doesn't own Naruto *mutters* or my future boyfriend. If she did she would've made the underwater kiss even more epic—Wait I kiss Percy under—**

* * *

**Meeting a lot of Dads**

* * *

After hearing Annabeth gripe about her dad for two years, Percy could say he was honestly expecting this guy to have devil horns or a tri-tipped tail… oh man was he wrong.

Instead the man who greeted them was a middle-aged man wearing an old-fashioned aviator's cap and goggles.

He looked frightening, with his eyes bugging out through the glasses, simultaneously the quad took a step back in surprise.

"Hello," he said in a friendly voice, "Are you delivering my airplanes?"

Warily the four of them shared a glance.

"Um, no, sir…" Percy trailed off.

Sighing to himself, Naruto pushed forward extending his hand in greeting, "Hey Mr. Chase."

The father's eyes opened in surprise, "Naruto my boy? Is that you? I haven't seen you in forever. How have you been!? Is Annabeth with you? What brings yo—" he stopped.

The blonde shinobi, was looking down as were the rest of his companions.

"Oh no." Mr. Chase said softly. He took off his cap and goggles. He had sandy-colored hair like Annabeth and intense brown eyes. "What happened?"

Thalia and Zoe shared a glance. "I think it's better if we come in to explain things."

He nodded, gesturing them inside.

Hesitantly they took a step in, and warilt took in the scene. Honestly the house didn't look like a house that'd been just moved into.

There were LEGO robots on the stairs and two cats sleeping on the sofa in the living room. The coffee table was stacked with magazines, and a little kid's winter coat was spread on the floor. The whole house smelled like fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies. There was jazz music coming from the kitchen. It seemed like a messy, happy kind of home—the kind of place that had been lived in forever.

"Dad!" a little boy screamed. "He's taking apart my robots!"

"Bobby," Dr. Chase called absently, "don't take apart your brother's robots."

"I'm Bobby," the little boy protested. "He's Matthew!"

"Matthew," Dr. Chase corrected, "don't take apart your brother's robots!"

"Okay, Dad!"

Dr. Chase turned to the quad with a sigh. "We'll go upstairs to my study. This way."

"Honey?" a woman called. Annabeth's stepmom appeared in the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She was a pretty Asian woman with red highlighted hair tied in a bun.

"Who are our guests?" she asked.

"Oh," Dr. Chase said. "This is… Naruto and…" He stared at the rest of them blankly.

"Frederick," she chided. "You forgot to ask them their names?"

The rest of the quest members introduced themselves—albeit warily… but Mrs. Chase seemed nice. She greeted Naruto pleasantly, before offering them something to eat.

They accepted.

"Dear," Dr. Chase said quietly. "They came about Annabeth."

At this Mrs. Chase looked up, startled, her lips pursed and eyes filled with concerned.

"All right. Go on up to the study and I'll bring you some food." She then smiled at the Son of Poseidon. "Nice meeting you, Percy. I've heard a lot about you."

Upstairs, they walked into Dr. Chase's study and Percy let out a, "Whoa!"

The room was wall-to-wall books, (you could really see where Annabeth got it form…) but what really caught the boy's attention were the war toys. There was a huge table with miniature tanks and soldiers fighting along a blue painted river, with hills and fake trees and stuff. Old-fashioned biplanes hung on strings from the ceiling, tilted at crazy angles like they were in the middle of a dogfight.

Dr. Chase smiled. "Yes. The Third Battle of Ypres. I'm writing a paper, you see, on the use of Sopwith Camels to strafe enemy lines. I believe they played a much greater role than they've been given credit for."

He plucked a biplane from its string and swept it across the battlefield, making airplane engine noises as he knocked down little German soldiers.

"Right." Naruto said, trying to stifle a laugh.

Hey it was a grown-ass man playing with airplane's what was not to laugh about?

Zoe came over and studied the battlefield. "The German lines were farther from the river."

Dr. Chase stared at her. "How do you know that?"

"I was there," she said matter-of-factly. "Artemis wanted to show us how horrible war was, the way mortal men fight each other. And how foolish, too. The battle was a complete waste."

Dr. Chase opened his mouth in shock. "You—"

"Let's just say she's older than she looks." Thalia interjected, "But that's not why we're here. We need—"

"You saw the Sopwith Camels?" Dr. Chase said. "How many were there? What formations did they fly?"

"Sir," Thalia broke in again. "Annabeth is in danger."

That got his attention. He set the biplane down.

"Of course," he said. "Tell me everything."

It definitely wasn't easy, but they tried. It was hard to wrap up the whole explanation while watching the afternoon light slowly fade.

When they finally finished, Dr. Chase collapsed in his leather recliner. He laced his hands. "My poor brave Annabeth. We must hurry."

"Sir, we need transportation to Mount Tamaulipas," Zoe said. "And we need it immediately."

"I'll drive you. Hmm. it would be faster to fly in my Camel, but it only seats two."

"Whoa, you have an actual biplane!?" Percy said.

"Down at Crissy Field," Dr. Chase said proudly. "That's the reason I had to move here. My sponsor is a private collector with some of the finest World War I relics in the world. He let me restore the Sopwith Camel—"

"Sir," Naruto said. "The car itself would be great, but it would be better if we went without you. Things could get ugly."

Dr. Chase frowned uncomfortably. "Now wait a minute, young lady. Annabeth is my daughter. Dangerous or not, I… I can't just—"

"Snacks," Mrs. Chase announced.

She pushed through the door with a tray full of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, Cokes, and cookies fresh out of the oven, the chocolate chips still melting.

Thalia and the two boys basically inhaled the cookies while Zoe said, "I can drive, sir. I'm not as young as I look. I promise not to destroy your car."

Mrs. Chase knit her eyebrows. "What's this about?"

"Annabeth is in danger," Dr. Chase said. "On Mount Tam. I would drive them, but… apparently it's no place for mortals." It sounded like it was really hard for him to get that last part out.

Mrs. Chase nodded. "Then they'd better get going."

"Right!" Dr. Chase jumped up and started patting his pockets. "My keys…"

His wife sighed. "Frederick, honestly. You'd lose your head if it weren't wrapped inside your aviator hat. The keys are hanging on the peg by the front door."

"Right!" Dr. Chase said.

Zoe grabbed a sandwich. "Thank you both. We should go now."

They hustled out the door and down the stairs, the Chases right behind us.

"Percy," Mrs. Chase called as he was leaving, "tell Annabeth… Tell her she still has a home here, will you? Remind her of that."

"… I'll tell her," he promised, smiling.

They ran out to the yellow (not orange… sadly) VW parked in the driveway. The sun was slowly setting. And by Naruto's calculations they had about an hour or so to rescue both Annabeth and Artemis.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Thalia demanded.

Zoe glared at her. "I cannot control traffic."

"You both sound like my mother," Percy said.

"Shut up!" they said in unison.

Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was sinking on the horizon when they finally got into Marin County and exited the highway. The roads were insanely (and I mean insanely) narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all.

"Why does everything smell like cough drops?" Percy asked.

"Eucalyptus." Zoe pointed to the huge trees all around them.

"Oh," Naruto snapped his fingers, "Monsters like that stuff, right?"

Zoe peered back at him, "How do thee know this?"

Naruto shrugged, "I've been hunting too."

Zoe nodded.

Ahead of them loomed Mount Tamaulipas. Compared to the Lands of Kumo this thing was small, but as they drove up it sure looked _plenty _big.

"So that's the Mountain of Despair?"

"Yes," Zoe said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?"

She was silent for almost a mile before answering. "After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. Kronos's right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperidins."

"The General," Percy said. Clouds seemed to be swirling around its peak, as though the mountain was drawing them in. "What's going on up there? A storm?"

Zoe didn't answer, and through the mirror she caught Naruto's eye.

"We have to concentrate," Thalia said. "The Mist is really strong here."

"The magical kind or the natural kind?"

"Both."

The gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountain, and Zoe kept driving straight toward them. Now out of the forest they had a clear view of the wide open spaces below.

By chance Naruto happened to glance down at the ocean and at what he saw he jumped out of his seat.

"Fuck!" he growled.

"What?"

"Look!" But they turned a corner and the ocean disappeared behind the hills.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white cruise ship," Naruto said grimly, "It was parked by the docks…"

Her eyes widened. "Luke's ship?"

Naruto didn't answer, sharing a sad, quick glance with Percy.

"We will have company, then," Zoe said grimly. "Kronos's army."

Naruto was about to answer, when suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, his danger senses literally blaring in his ears.

_**KIT WATCH OUT!**_ Kurama screamed, right as Thalia shouted, "Stop the car. NOW!"

Zoe must've sensed something was wrong, because she slammed on the brakes without question. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff.

"Out!" Thalia opened the door and pushed Percy out hard, Naruto had leaped over the seat to throw Zoe out.

The next second—BOOOM!

Lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted in a grand explosion.

In truth Naruto was sure he would've died if it wasn't for his gauntlet. His sensitive ears winced when a loud bang was heard. Slowly he put down the shield/fan hybrid, his eyes widening at the wreckage.

Zoe was looking up at him with shocked eyes, "You saved my life."

Naruto turned to her, "Course I did, you're family."

The Hunter nodded unsurely, their attention going to the cursing Daughter of Zeus.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand" Thalia growled, "Curse him. He would destroy me? Me?"

And immediately the blonde ninja was at her side "Hey, listen, that couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt. No way."

"Whose, then?" Thalia demanded.

"Zoe did say Kronos's name. Maybe he—"

Thalia shook her head, looking angry and stunned. "No. That wasn't it."

"Wait," Percy said. "Where's Zoe?"

"She was right—" Naruto stopped, his eyes widened, "Shit. Zoe!"

"Did she fall?" Thalia ask, Naruto shook his head.

"No I made sure of it… but where—"

"Zoe!" Percy shouted.

Then she was standing right next to them, pulling them all down by the arm. "Silence, fools! Do you want to wake Ladon?"

"You mean we're here?" Naruto whispered.

"Very close," she said. "Follow me."

Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road. Zoe stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there. The trio looked at each other.

"Concentrate on Zoe," Thalia advised. "We are following her. Go straight into the fog and keep that in mind."

"Wait, Thalia. About what happened back on the pier… I mean, with the manticore and the sacrifice—"

"Percy." Naruto said warningly, "Now might not be the best time to talk.

Percy ignored him, "Thalia, you wouldn't actually have… you know?"

She hesitated. "I was just shocked. That's all."

"Zeus didn't send that lightning bolt at the car. It was Kronos. He's trying to manipulate you, make you angry at your dad."

She took a deep breath. "Percy, I know you're trying to make me feel better. Thanks. But come on. We need to go."

She stepped into the fog, into the Mist, the two boys looked at each other before following.

When the fog cleared, theyI was still on the side of the mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a crimson slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of them. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight.

It was so beautiful it made Naruto's breath catch… well until he saw the enormous dragon.

The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples, the apples of fucking immortality.

They looked so delicious Naruto was tempted to jump into the tree, and take one himself…

But then the shadows in front of them began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices echoing from inside a cave...

Naruto reached for his iPod, but Zoe stopped his hand.

Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked _alot_ like Zoe. They all wore pure white, Greek chitons. Their skin was so rich it looked like carmel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders…

They were all gorgeous, and probably very dangerous.

"Sisters," Zoe greeted.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see three half-bloods and a Hunter. All of whom shall soon die."

Naruto stepped protectively in front of his friends, "You're wrong there lady." He said softly, "No one is going to die."

The girls studied him. They had eyes like obsidian, beautiful, deadly, and completely black.

"Naruto Uzumaki." One of them said.

"Yes," mused another. "I do not see why everyone sees him as a threat..."

At this Naruto chuckled, "I get that a lot."

The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee. They are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee."

She pointed at Thalia.

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

Thalia glared at them standing in front of Naruto, "Not without Annabeth."

"And Artemis," Zoe said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

Then Zoe did the last thing anyone expected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"

The dragon stirred.

The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoe, "Are you mad?"

"You never had any courage, sister," Zoe said. "That is thy problem."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoe, don't," Naruto warned. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"Should," Percy dead-panned. "Not exactly reassuring."

"It is the only way," she said. "Even the four of us together cannot fight him… including you Naruto."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shivers down their backs, and that was before his breath hit them.

Now Naruto had smelled some terrible things in his life. It went from burned ramen, to the smell of hundreds of bloody corpse, but none of them compared to this.

It smelled like shit times a million.

Regaining his senses Naruto moved. Thalia went left. Percy went right. Zoe walked straight toward the monster.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said. "Zoe has come back."

Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows.

The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool."

Naruto glared towards the voice, immediately shutting her up.

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"

The dragon's eyes glinted.

Thalia and Percy were about halfway around the garden, Naruto was lagging behind, his stance ready to pounce. Ahead, a single rocky trail lead up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above, spinning on the summit.

They'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. The dragon's mood shifted. Maybe Zoe got too close. Maybe the dragon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoe.

Two thousand years of training kept her alive.

She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath. His gauntlet in fan mode Naruto stood at ready—

"No!" Zoe panted. "Run!"

The dragon snapped at her side, and Zoe cried out.

Thalia uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoe sprinted past them making her way up the mountain. The trio soon following.

Xx

Finally when they reached half-way to the top, Percy stopped, his mouth wide. Surrounding the quad was ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.

"Yes," Zoe said her voice a little weak. "It was not here before. This is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" Percy asked, feeling like a fool as usual.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoe said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was—" She winced and held her side.

"You're hurt," Naruto said. "Let me see."

"No! It is noth—"

"Nothing doesn't make somebody almost collapse Zoe." Naruto said sternly, "Let me see."

The Huntress hesitated, before reluctantly nodding, removing her hand, to show off an already greenish wound.

Naruto lowered himself to examine it his eyes narrowing, "I need some nectar…" He looked up at Zoe, "And this might make you uncomfortable, but I need to suck the blood out of your wound."

Zoe nodded.

Carefully Naruto brought his mouth to the bite mark, trying his best to be gentle… from her hisses it definitely wasn't working.

After a couple more minutes of drinking, spitting, and sucking Naruto lifted his head. "Your blood taste clean now." He sighed, gratefully accepting the can of nectar from Thalia.

He spread it on Zoe's wound.

Then he stood up, "Okay it should be better by the time we reach the top… so let's get a move on."

"What's up there anyway?" Percy asked gesturing to the summit.

"Atlas's mountain," Zoe said. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he used to hold up the sky."

Then they reached the summit. A few yards ahead of them, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead they rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.

Immediately Naruto stepped forward.

"Stop!" Artemis shouted, her eyes meeting cerulean blue, "It is a trap. You must leave now."

Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. Naruto looked at her, his eyes wide.

Zoe was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.

A booming voice spoke behind them: "Ah, how touching."

They turned, simultaneously pulling out their weapons. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.

Percy met her eyes, trying to ask her a thousand questions. There was just one message she was sending him, though: RUN.

"Luke," Naruto snarled. "Let them go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. "That is the General's decision, _brother_. But it's good to see you again… you too Thalia."

Thalia spat at him.

The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "You're Atlas?"

The General glanced at him. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoe." Naruto said lowly, stepping protectively in front of both her and Artemis. "I won't let you."

The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter."

At this Naruto frowned. "A family matter?"

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."

* * *

**DONE!**

**Not much of a cliff hanger, but expect a fight next chappy.**

**And SPOILER ALERT**

**.**

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**Naruto will take the honor of holding up the sky for a while!**

**.**

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**End of spoiler.**

**REVIEW!**

**-XM**

**P.S. Also I'm taking some one-shot Naruto challenges and stuff (even I need a break from writing my stories) so if you have one let me know! I'm currently working on a LoL and Naruto Oneshot... if you don't know what LoL is it's League of Legends... and I admit I've played the game before (NOOB HERE XD), but anyways let lil me know!**


	14. Save You Tonight

**XoverMasta: Hey all! *flaps hands up and down* OMG OMG OMG I am so tired *falls backwards* I AM SO FUCKING TIRED!**

**Naruto: *walks in then sweat drops* … How again did I end up being in this story!?**

**XoverMasta: I put in the job application you would be protected from fan-girls.**

**Naruto: Oh yeah! You also said I'd get Artemis… WHICH HASN'T HAPPENED YET!**

**XoverMasta: *sits up* Be patient young-grasshopper!**

**Naruto *eye twitches* I've been patient FOR THE LAST TWO FUCKING BOOKS!**

**XoverMasta: *winces* Stop yelling! I have a caffeine hang-over.**

**Naruto: *yells in ear* I DON'T CARE YOU'RE BREAKING YOUR PROMISE IN—**

**Artemis: Stop yelling! *Walks into room, rubbing temples* Why are you two always so loud.**

**Naruto: Errr. Well you see—I—you—**

**Annabeth: *enters room* Uhhh… *looks between a stuttering Naruto and annoyed Artemis* was I interrupting something?**

**XoverMasta: Not really, you just saved him from embarrassment. *smiles* Can you please do the disclaimer?**

**Annabeth: *shrugs* Sure. *Clears throat* XoverMasta doesn't own Naruto *mutters* or my future boyfriend. If she did she would've made the underwater kiss even more epic, explained the 'good bye' kiss between me and Percy in more detail in the Lost Hero… Seriously XM do you really have to intrude in my love life!?**

**XoverMasta: YES!**

* * *

**Save you Tonight**

Naruto gaped… gaped… gaped… and then gaped some more.

His jaw so wide open it almost touched the floor.

Man… Killer Bee must've rubbed off on him…

Shaking himself from his inner thoughts, Naruto once again focused on Zoe, and Atlas still trying to make sense of what he heard.

There was just… no way.

But even Naruto could not mistake the resemblance.

Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoe, the same cold proud look in his eyes that the Huntress sometimes got when she was mad. He was all the bad things blonde had initially seen in Zoe… except on the Titan it looked a million times worse.

"Let Artemis go," Zoe demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoe opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but stopped mid-way as a threatening growl made its way to his ears.

He looked up smiling. "Well, well, well." He smirked sending Naruto a mocking glance. "If it isn't the little dimension hopper. The Titan Lord has told me to offer you into our ranks, but guessing from your expression I assume you'll decline."

Naruto bared his teeth, holding out Messenger's Crescent in front of him. "Like hell I'll ever join you."

Atlas only smiled, "We'll see boy once Lord Kronos has taken over you'll be bowing in front of him soon enough."

"Well if you're the best of his ranks I sure feel sorry for him."

The Titan's eyes blazed, "HOW DARE YOU—"

"Why don't you fight me to prove yourself '_General_.'" Naruto growled.

Atlas snorted "Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

Naruto smiled mockingly. "Huh, so you're just another coward?"

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Naruto's companion. "And as for you, daughter of Zeus… it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed, looking weak. "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke..." Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree ..." His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

"Do not, Thalia," Zoe warned. "We must fight them."

Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp. A sacrificial flame.

"Thalia," Naruto said gently and yet firmly. "No."

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other monsters even Naruto had never seen. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds of them. And they were marching toward them. In a few minutes, they would be here.

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a moment Thalia hesitated. She glanced between both Naruto and Luke, her eyes were full of pain. Then she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me … don't make him destroy you."

Naruto looked down, there was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, they would be overwhelmed…

Looking over to the rest of the quad, he smiled sadly. They all shared a glance before nodding.

"Now?"

"Now."

Together, they charged.

Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon- women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

As for Naruto and Percy… well they did the logical thing any boy would do… They went for Titan Lord Atlas.

The said Titan Lord barely had time to block before Naruto was on him. His scythe meeting javelin.

They both had their teeth bared, similar sneers were set on their faces.

"Fool!" Atlas snarled, "Do you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"

With a mighty shove he pushed Naruto back, sending the ninja flying into the walls of black concrete, and in the next second Percy was on him. The Son of Poseidon slashed his sword, but like Naruto he didn't stand a chance to Atlas' strength, and he too was sent flying.

Regaining his bearings the ninja sprung, charging at the Titan.

"Fūton: Kazekiri no Jutsu (Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique)." He yelled, as wind chakra spouted off his scythe, slamming into Atlas.

Grunting in pain the Titan regained his hold on his javelin, thrusting it at the jinchuuriki. It slammed into his chest, sending Naruto into the ground, his scythe shooting off in the other direction.

Naruto's head slammed on the ground, his face was lit in surprise. He hadn't faced an opponent this strong in… forever.

Disoriented the blonde looked up only to see the worried/pained face of Artemis.

"Run, Naruto," she rasped out. "You must run!"

Atlas was taking his time coming toward the blonde.

"Die, little hero," Atlas yelled.

He raised his javelin to impale him.

"No!" Percy yelled, slamming his sword under the straps of Atlas' armor, Zoe following suite with her arrows.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward the Son of Poseidon.

Naruto quickly tapped his ring, spinning the Uzumaki symbol. He could fight Atlas, he knew if he stepped up his game he could match him… but he also knew at some point in time strength had to bow down to experience.

"The sky," he said turning to Artemis. "You have to give it to me."

"No!" Artemis said immediately. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat, sending a pang through Naruto chest. "You don't know what you're asking for."

"I do know." Naruto said simply his cerulean eyes meeting silver.

Then using the sharp end of his fan he cut through her chains. He then stepped next to her and braced himself on one knee—holding up his hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds.

Naruto groaned as the weight of the sky fell upon him. It was like being crushed by Nagato's Rinnegan times a hundred, it was like the whole weight of the world rested literally on his shoulders. Taking a steadying breath, Naruto repositioned himself. If Annabeth and Artemis had to bare through this so could he… he wasn't going to let either of them down.

Sending him one last glance Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and the blonde held it alone... well not completely alone.

Slowly, but surely red chakra began to leak around his feet before surrounding him in a make-shift fox cloak. Nine tails loomed out from behind him before four of them slammed up against the sky, while the other five planted themselves next to his feet; allowing himself to keep his balance.

Again Naruto took a deep breath, but this time it came out less strained.

And while this was happening Atlas advanced, pressing the Goddess of the Hunt. She was fast—just a little slower than Naruto—but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward Naruto.

_Get ready,_ she said telepathically, not even looking phased at the red mass of bubbleling chakra around him.

Naruto nodded, sweat gathering at his forehead. _R-Right. _He managed gritting his teeth.

"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged.

"WATCH OUT!" Naruto screamed, even he was amazed he could speak through the pain.

Artemis heard him, jumping just in time, as Atlas's javelin swept around. The Titan growled, as he continued to press the Goddess. It was a continuous dance of blocks, parries, and thrusts.

From the sidelines Zoe sent a constant stream of arrows at the Titan, the projectiles acting as small distractions.

Finally the titan roared in annoyance, his javelin aiming stright towards the Huntress. But with that action he left his guard open, and asa fast as thought Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her.

Naruto's eyes widened in realization as he loosened his grip on the sky. Atlas slammed into him and he allowed himself to be pushed away, using one of the foxes chakra tails to stop himself mid-roll.

The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late.

"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"

Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

Xx

Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat.

He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat. For a moment, there was silence.

"Well?" Luke asked.

Naruto tried to get up, but his hands wouldn't stop shaking, the weight of the sky left him feeling a little strained, especially when the foxes chakra dissapated; and eventually he allowed himself to collapse. This was Thalia's fight.

The said Daughter of Zeus was trembling in fury.

Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"

"He's a traitor," Thalia screamed. "A traitor!"

Naruto blinked when he felt hands go behind his head, Artemis was huddled over him, her eyebrows scrunched in worry.

"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He... he'll be useful."

"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"

The Goddess brought her hand down to Naruto's forehead and instantly he felt a cooling sensation tingle through his body, he let out a sigh of relief.

Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for her spear.

"No!" Annabeth shouted. But it was too late. Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell.

"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.

With some effort Naruto smiled up at the Goddess, "Thank you…" he said softly.

The other quest members rushed to the cliff. Below them, the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks.

Then as if in a trance Artemis lowered her head and Naruto tilted his up.

And softly their lips meet. The kiss so gentle Naruto couldn't help but think he was imagining it. He breathed deeply through his nose, the simple touch so pleasent and unreal it made him lose his breath.

Then one of the giants looked up and shouted, "Kill them!"

And with those words Artemis pulls back sharply, her eyes wide as if she couldn't believe what she had just done.

Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. Percy pulled her back as a wave of javelins sailed over their heads. They ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as they passed.

"Artemis, Naruto!" Percy yelled.

The goddess looked up, as did Naruto, Percy stopped glancing between the two nervously.

"Errr… Sorry did I interrupt anything?"

Naruto's ears flushed pink, while Artemis simply shook her head in denial. Then a strange buzzing noise came through the air…

"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, his Sopwith Camel swooping down from the sky, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

"Dad!?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.

Artemis stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe.

"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, We must get away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin.

The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed.

"That's... my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.

They didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.

Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer Naruto had ever seen. It landed right next to them.

"Get in," Artemis said.

Annabeth helped Percy get Thalia on board. Naruto winced, stumbling when he put weight on his left leg, Zoe steadied him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." He grinded out, "Must be dislocated."

Zoe raised an eyebrow, but simply nodded, helping him into the chariot. Artemis looked at the blonde for a second before she pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.

Seeing them safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed them like an honor guard. It must have been one of the strangest sights ever, even for the Bay Area: a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith Camel.

Behind them, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.

* * *

**DONE!**

**So if you remember Naruto's leg got injured when he went to help Bianca, his leg is only acting up again, so it's really nothing to worry about… I just had to put that there to get Artemis to look back at her 'man'.**

**:D**

**AND THEY KISSED!**

**And Artemis doesn't know what to make of it.**

**So anyway review.**

**-XM**


	15. I'll See You

**XoverMasta: Sup my people!**

**Naruto: She's back, and so am I! *smile***

**Aphrodite: Yes they are, yes they are! *squeals* AND ARTEMIS FINALLY KISSED SOMEONE! *hugs Naruto* I AM SO HAPPY AND PROUD OF YOU!**

**Naruto: Can't... breath!**

**Aphrodite: I DON'T CARE! ARTEMIS KISSED YOU!**

**XoverMasta: And before Naruto dies again (he dies alot in Naruto Games at least when I play XD) Apollo will you do the Disclaimer?**

**Apollo *comes in from nowhere* GLADLY!**

**XoverMasta**

**Doesn't own Percy Jackson**

**Because she's not cool**

**XoverMasta: HEY!**

**Apollo: XoverMasta**

**Also don't own Naruto**

**Because she just sucks!**

**XoverMasta: OI! I didn't give you the job for you to hate on me!**

**Apollo:**

**XoverMasta**

**Now crimson with her anger**

**I should really run.**

**XoverMasta *pulls out knife* Yes you really should.**

* * *

**I'll See you**

* * *

They landed at Crissy Field after just nightfall.

As soon as Dr. Chase stepped out of his Sopwith Camel, Annabeth ran to him and basically tackled him into a huge hug. "Dad! You flew… you shot… oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Her father blushed at her praise. "Well, not bad for a middle-aged mortal, I suppose."

"But the celestial bronze bullets! How did you get those?" Annabeth questioned her gray eyes as wide as her mother's sacred bird's.

"Ah, well. You did leave quite a few half-blood weapons in your room in Virginia, the last time you… left."

Annabeth looked down, in embarrassment.

"I decided to try melting some down to make bullet casings," he continued. "Just a little experiment."

He said it calmly, like it was no big deal, but he had a gleam in his eye. Thalia and Naruto shared a glance before smiling. They could see why Athena had taken a liking to this man, he was just a mad scientist at heart.

"Dad…" Annabeth faltered.

Dr. Chase smiled before pulling Annabeth into a reassuring hug. The two stayed like that, the daughter of Athena obviously trying to hold back tears.

Although there little moment was soon interrupted by Artemis who still stood in her chariot. "I must go to Olympus immediately," she said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help."

The goddess set her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right."

Then she looked quizzically at Thalia, who was looking over at Zoe. Both girl's glanced simultaneously at Artemis. The three girls seemed to share a small telepathic talk, before Artemis's gaze softened with sympathy. Then she turned to the boys.

They were both leaning on each other for support. Percy had a few cuts and bruises here and there, but overall he was just suffering from exhaustion. Naruto looked worse for wear with a silver streak in his sun-kissed hair.

"You did well," she said softly. "For men."

Her eyes rose to meet Naruto's, pain flashed through them before disappearing. She nodded coldly at the blonde, who only stared sadly back. Her chariot then began to glow, and immediately Zoe hopped on. The new quad plus a mortal averted their eyes. There was a flash of her signature silver before they were both gone.

"Well," Dr. Chase sighed. "She was impressive; though I must say I still prefer Athena."

Naruto said nothing while Annabeth turned toward her father. "Dad, I… I'm sorry that—"

"Shh." He hugged her. "Do what you must, my dear. I know this isn't easy for you." His voice shaking, but he gave Annabeth a brave smile.

Then a whoosh of wings was heard. Three pegasi descended through the fog: two white winged horses and one pure black one.

"Blackjack!" Percy smiled, limping off of Naruto.

"Guido," Naruto said a smiliar smile on his face, "Porkpie!"

The two other Pegasus whinnied in response, stomping their hooves excitedly. Blackjack seemed to be staring at Percy intently, the two of them were obviously sharing some type on conversation.

"Nah," The Son of Poseidon chuckled, staring amusedly at Blackjack. "These are my friends. We need to get to Olympus pretty fast."

Dr. Chase stood open mouthed at the pegasi.

"Fascinating," he said. "Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?"

"What?"

"Dad!" Annabeth interuppted with a large grin on her face.

Dr. Chase blinked. He looked at his daughter and managed a smile. "I'm sorry, my dear, I know you must go."

He gave her one last awkward, well-meaning hug.

As she turned to climb aboard the pegasus Guido, Dr. Chase called, "Annabeth. I know… I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe."

Annabeth didn't answer, but her eyes were red as she turned away. Dr. Chase started to say more, then apparently thought better of it.

Naruto sent the professor a a reassuring smile, "Don't worry sir I'll watch after her."

Dr. Chase nodded, "I know you will."

Then he gave them one last wave, before he trudged away across the dark field.

Thalia, Naruto and Percy mounted on their pegasi. Annabeth and Thalia shared one, while Naruto rode Porkpie alone.

But together they soared over the bay and flew toward the eastern hills. Soon San Francisco was only a glittering crescent behind them, with an occasional flicker of lightning in the north.

Naruto repeatedly patted Porkpie's mane throughout the trip.

"How's it going man?"

The horse snorted in response.

The three Pegasus soared side by side, none of the Quest members seemed willing to talk, each of them were rightfully exhausted… and as if to prove the point Thalia had fallen asleep on Guido's back.

Percy finally broke the silence, "Your dad seems cool."

Annabeth didn't say anything, as she looked back, even though California was far behind now.

"I guess so," she said hesitantly. "We've been arguing for so many years."

Naruto casted her a sympathetic glance, "No argument can last forever." He said softly.

Annabeth only nodded unsurely.

After a moment of silence, Percy cleared his throat, "Both of your parents seem better now… maybe they've gotten cooler since you left…"

She hesitated. "They're still in San Francisco. I can't live so far from camp."

Naruto glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The fateful question was at the tip of his tongue, and with a deep breath he asked it, "So what are you going to do now?"

They flew over another town, Porkpie neighed in annoyance when a bird passed overhead, he skillfully raised his foot in the air; giving the Pegasus' equivalent to the finger.

"I don't know," Annabeth admitted finally. "But thank you guys for rescuing me."

Both boys smiled, "No problem, we're friends."

"You guys… didn't believe I was dead?"

Percy answered this one, "Never."

She hesitated. "Neither is Luke, you know. I mean… he isn't dead."

Naruto nodded grimly, "I know."

Annabeth glanced at him in surprise, "You do?"

Naruto let out a long sigh, "His heart was still beating when he landed, I heard it… my _brother _isn't dead."

Percy stayed silent throughout this exchange, looking almost... desperately at Annabeth. The towns were zipping by faster now, islands of light thicker together, until the whole landscape below was a glittering carpet. Dawn was close. The eastern sky was turning gray.

And up ahead, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out before them—the lights of New York.

"You're the man, Blackjack," Percy smiled. "Er, the horse, I mean."

"There it is." Thalia's said suddenly; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."

"What's started?" Percy asked. Then looked to where she was pointing. High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air.

"The winter solstice," Naruto answered grimly. "The Council of the Gods."

* * *

**DONE!**

**So yes very very very very short, but I needed this is :)**

**So I'm almost finished! Yeah! **

**And yeah...**

**Also I would like to take this time to address someone who honestly gave me the best laugh I've had in a while and her name (I found out her gender ) is Konoha's Hanyou Kunoichi and she said: worst story i read all year no one should read this story.**

**BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA**

**HILARIOUS RIGHT!?**

**Now I know some of you are like wtf? how can u find that little girls shit funny?**

**Well it's because initially I was pissed off, but then I went to her bio and found out she was freaking 13, then I loled. I mean seriously!? She tells me it's the 'worst story she ever read'... and that's it. Now you guys can flame/criticize me, but if you do I would like some info onto why the story sucks for you so I can make it better.**

**All in all thanks Hanyou for the laugh, even though I'm sure the review wasn't meant for that... oh and also grow up will you?**

**And to all those who are reading this REVIEW!**

**And also I WILL UPDATE THIS SOON!**

**-XM**


	16. NOT AN UPDATE

**Hey guys so this isn't an update, but I wanted to post this here.**

**Idk if you guys know about this not there was a shooting in Connecticut and around thirty kids and adults were killed. Now this made me think about alot and I wanted to just put this out here... This sort of made me realize that life is short, and that it couldn't been someone whom I knew that was lost. So Christmas is up and I prob won't be able to update soon because I got family coming over, but this Christmas just remember to put down your iPod and iPhone, or any electronic and really spend time with your family. Really cherish them because you don't know when life could be cut short.**

**I know it won't mean much coming from me but to any of you who have lost someone in the shooting or in any other situation may God bless you and them!**

**... AND ON THAT NOTE MERRY EARLY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Don't review because this will be taken down.**


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